Training for Battle - James learns how to fight

James looked at Robyn curious and a little confused when she fell silent for a longer time; had he said something wrong? He expression told him she was thinking some things over, but that didn't really reassure him.

As such, he was relieved when she finally spoke. He couldn't help but grin, and then chuckle at how self-concious she suddenly seemed; it was an interesting contrast with the touhg, strong trainer she'd been just now. "I don't think it's sad," he said in a warm voice, "I think it's a sign of strenght, if anything... Better to do something useful with your time, than just sit around being bored, right?"

He already saw the question coming back to him, but he still - regrettably - had nothing interesting to say in reply. "Nothing much," he said in a somewhat apathic shrug, "when I'm not busy with schoolwork, I'm still practising my magic. So yeah, I don't exactly have a relishing personal life. Well, there's the White Magic Club..." He seemed less than enthusiastic about that last.

Robyn smiled at James when he said that it wasn't sad, but more a sign of strenght. It made her feel better about not really doing antyhing other then practise. Though she would never really say it to him she wasn't all that surprised when James that he was mainly busy with practising his magic. It was mainly because she knew about his family history. She did get a little curious when he mentioned the White Magic Club.
"What does the White Magic Club do then?" she asked, "I didn't really think they did anything... No offence."

James couldn't fight back a laugh when Robyn said she didn't really think the White Magic Club did anything. "Don't let Sameea hear you now," he jokingly warned her, "she'll not be happy with that reputation."

Then he fell silent for a moment, to finally say in a hessitating voice: "I'm actually not suppose to talk about it..."
He thought about it for a moment, then decided to tell anyway; "well, for starters we just practise a lot of white magic, of course, and magic dueling. We also try to develop new spells and potions, magic we invent ourselves." He grinned, a little embaressed as he added: "well,and everyone else in the club is a girl, so there's a lot of gossiping too."

Robyn listened intently as James told her that the White Magic club did do stuff, stuff he wasn't suppose to talk about. She was just about to say that she wasn't going to tell anyone when he already started telling her. It sounded locigally enough when he told her about the things they where doing. She chuckled a little when he said that a lot of gossiping went on as well as he was the only boy.
"Yeah I know what's it like to being the only one from the different gender in a group," she answered remembering her times when she was still pretending to be a boy in knight-fighting-classes, "So what do you like to do, just for fun?"

James chuckled a little shy when Robyn asked him that next question; "it'll make me sound dorky," he warned her. Then, after a couple more awkward chuckles he replied; "I really like writing. Stories mostly, but poems and stuff too."

Robyn got all the more interested when James chuckled shyly at her question. Especially when he said that it would make him sound dorky. She was just about to push him a little more for an answer when he just kept on chuckling shyly, but then he already answered. Admittedly it surprised her, when he had said that it would make him sound dorky being a writer had not come to her mind.
"I would say I would like to read some of it, but I'm guessing you haven't written them in braille," she said sounding a little dissappointed, but then she had an idea and looked at him with a sweet smile, "Unless of course I can convince you to read them to me?"

James looked at Robyn quite hessitant; "I- I don't know... I mean... I've never even let anyone read it." By that he didn't (nessecairily) mean he didn't want to - he was actually a little flattered and excited that Robyn seemed interested - but he was afraid she'd just think his work was worthless.
"Let's first just get me to my room..." he said, dismissing the topic for the moment.

They entered the castle, and headed to the dorms. "Here it is," James said, heading for a door. In front of it, he suddenly halted. "No wait...!" he said in a serious voice, "this isn't the girls dorm!" Then with a 'only-joking' grin he opened the door and headed in.

It was in the middle of the day, and (at least partially) due to the good weather, it was very quiet inside. As such, they could easily pass through the shared living room and head and onto James' bedroom. As soon as he saw his bed he felt like dropping onto it, but considering he had company he didn't. "So," this is my room," he said instead, in a composed voice. His room was an absolute mess, with papers and books and clothes lying everywhere.

Robyn tilted her head a little when James started hessitating and then the sudden change in subject. She didn't push it though, guessing he must have his reasons. When they had arrived at the boys dorms and James made his joke about it not being the girls dorm she gave him a small teasing push. She followed him closely through the boys dorms and towards his room, memorising the way.
She bit her lip when she 'saw' the mess that was his room, trying to hide a smile. When she had been pretending to be a guy she had seen her share of messy boy rooms.
"Is it okay if I take a seat?" she asked a little hessitant, wondering if he minded if she would stay for a little while, maybe even getting him crazy enough to read her one of his writings.

"O no, not at all," James quickly replied when Robyn asked if she could take a seat. He looked around for a moment, to find the only chair he had was his desk chair - which was momentarily being used as a bit of an extra storage, being loaded with books and papers.
He didn't really want to move those though, as he'd only just put all the papers in the right order, and between the right pages, and he was certain he'd mess that up if he had to move it now, really quickly.
"Uhm..." he mused, looking around more, hessitating. Actually, the only places where there was actually room to sit where this one spot on the floor, in between fresh and dirty laundry, or the bed.
"Sure, go ahead," he therefore said while gesturing towards the bed, trying not to think to much of how suggestive it may have seemed.

Feeling rather stupid he pointed out, sounding rather misserable; "my room was less of a mess in my head."

Robyn stood a little uncertain in the room as she noticed James hesitating about something. He had said that it was okay if she would take a seat, but did he just say that out of politeness? When he broke the silence with an uhm followed shortly after by him telling her to go ahead she tapped her foot lightly on the ground. Seeing that he was gesturing in the direction of the bed she carefully picked her way through the mess and sat down on the edge. She chuckled when he said that inside his head his room had been less messy.
"Oh don't worry I've been in guy rooms before," assured him, "the mess doesn't bother me. Now will you please read me one of your stories or poems?"

James was pleased to find that Robyn wasn't offended by the big scrape mess that was his room. He fell back into great hessitation when she'd pressed him to read some of his works to her.
Honestly uncertain, he fell silent for quite a while. Finally he said, in a soft voice: "promise you won't laugh?"

Robyn smiled excited when James asked her to promise not to laugh.
"I would never," she answered, "I promise. Though I will give you my honest opinion even if the story isn't completely to my taste. But don't worry I will be kind if I do have critisism."

James sighed, somewhere in between excitement and relief. Finally he got out a paper, after a little bit of searching through the mess, and starting reading in a surprisingly calm voice: *fill in something Wonderwall - Oasis like*

Robyn listened silently, paying close attention to the lyrics. They where sad in a beautiful and romantic way. She bit her lower lip and couldn't help, but wonder if the lyrics where about them. The thought alone caused a faint blush to colour her cheeks and she lowered her head slightly hoping to hide it.
"That was really beautiful," she said when he was done, "honestly. May I ask what inspired the poem?"

James wasn't sure what to say in return for a moment. Then, after a more than eternal silence he managed to reply; "you. You inspired me."
As he admitted this, he was standing by the foot-end of the bed, and quickly turned himself away from Robyn, feeling incredibly self-concious for reveiling this.

Robyn waited for the answer to her question and waited and waited. She started to wonder if she was going to get an answer or if she should just change the subject. That's when James admitted that she had inspired him for the poem her blush increased. It turned into a full crimson and she lowered her head again.
"..." she didn't really knew how to reply, "wow... Thanks?"

"Well," James said with a bashful smile, his cheeks flushing as well, "you... you did kidna save me, didn't you." A silence fell after that, which ended by James sighing; "great. Here I was scared my poem would embaress me... completely forgetting the very likely possibliity that I would just end up embaressing myself." His intonation made it hard to tell whether he was joking or not - and in fairness he wasn't sure himself.

"Anyway..." he decided to lead on the conversation, somewhere in the general direction of non-awkwardness. Unfortunatly he didn't really know anything else to talk about, so he just walked over to a stack of books, muttering; "there's got to be some kind of do-over spell in here...!"

Robyn didn't really reacted to the saving him comment or the embarrassing himself comment. Mainly because she really just didn't knew how to react to either one. She would have liked to deny the second comment, but she wasn't sure if he had been serious. And if it had been a joke and she gave a serious response to it the awkwardness would not degrees. The same went for the other way around.
She was glad when James made it seem like he was going to break the awkwardness by starting a different subject, but when that didn't go anywhere she just bit her lip. She tried to think of something to say herself, but got distracted when he walked over to his desk. She strained her ears a little and heard his mutter something about a do-over spell over the rustle of paper.
"A do-over spell?" she asked, "You don't need a do over spell... Not for what just happened... It was really sweet... I don't think I've ever inspired a poem before..." She blushed a little again.

James smiled, relieved that Robyn kindoff passed over the awkwardness of that last moment. He couldn't fight off a small, cheeky grin then, when Robyn said she'd never inspired a poem begore. "Now that I don't believe," he said conclusively, a slightly flirty smirk on his face. He walked back to the bed, continuing; "come on, you're smart, you're strong... you're pretty!" He sat down next to her; "you must've had some poor guy writing you poems at some stage?"

Of course Robyn couldn't see the cheeky grin nor the flirty smirk. The smirk did resonated slightly in his voice, but not enough for her to read into it. She smiled when he said that she was smart and strong, she blushed a little again though when he called her pretty. She looked a little uncertain when he sat down next to her on the bed.
"If I ever did inspire a poem before no one bothered to inform me about it..." she answered, not really sure why she was somewhat nervous all of the sudden, "Or called me pretty... besides my parents..."

"Oh," James said, his tone a little uncertain. Considering Robyn was quite a special girl - at least, that's what he thought (he realized then and there, making his face flush a little) - he couldn't realize no one ever telling her how pretty she was. Then again, he reasoned maybe Robyn, considering all the training she did, just intimidated boys; he knew he would've been if he was a bit younger (read: in any other situation, he would've been!XD)

"Well, still..." he finally said, "if no one's ever told you how pretty you are, it's been long overdue." He smiled and fell silent again, a little embaressed once more. He became a little curious there though, because Robyn had mentioned her parents; "what are your parents like?"

Robyn wasn't sure what to say or how to act when James just said 'oh' to what she had said. Rather glad that after a short silence he continued even if it made her more uncertain. Admittedly it was the good kind of uncertain, for as far as there was a good kind of uncertain. She was gratefull when he moved to a new subject.
"Sir Axel and Elisabeth are great," she answered meaning it, "they are very kind and supportive of me not having the same interests as most women. And they give me a lot of freedom despite my blindness. My birthfather was great as well, but he was very protective over me because of my blindness. He didn't even let me walk alone through the garden... I still miss him though..."

James smiled endeared when Robyn spoke so fondly of Sir Axel and Elisabeth. He rather wished he had such nice things to say about his own family.
"They sound really great," he said with a smile. But then she started about her birth father and he wasn't sure what to say; it seemed just like the kind of sensitive topic where he might say something wrong again, and there'd been enough awkwardness already, in his opinion. "I can imagine," he said in an empathic voice, "if I may ask... how long ago was it? Your father...?" He let that sentence fade away then, not feeling like taking the word 'died' in his mouth.

Robyn hugged herself a little as her thoughts kept circled around her memories of her birthfather. Looking rather depressed.
"It's been fourteen years..." she answered in a small voice, it was clear that despite it being so long ago she still wasn't really over it. She pulled up her legs, wrapped her arms around them and rested her forehead on her knees. She was now nolonger capable of 'seeing', but at the moment she didn't care.

James looked unhappily at Robyn and how sad she was. He felt really stupid and guilty for asking about her father - he could've known it would only upset her.
"I'm sorry," he said in a soft voice, meanwhile hessitating whether to put a comforting hand on her shoulder or not, "I shouldn't have asked. It's none of my business anyway."

There was a small silence after that, then followed by James saying: "I know this sounds corny but... I do believe there's a place where people go to after they die. You know, an afterlife of sorts... A place where things are good, and where the people you've lost are waiting for you." He fell silent for another moment, at which he finally did put hit hand on Robyn's shoulder in a comforting manner, smiled a little uncertain and added: "I don't know why I'm telling you that... I guess, it's something that's always helped me when I miss someone I've lost."

Robyn shook her head when James said that he shouldn't have asked. He couldn't have known it was still such a sensitive subject.
"It's okay," she said, raising her head a little and wiping her eyes to remove the unspilled tears. She didn't really knew what to say next, so she was happily when James continued after a moment of silence. She smiled faintly when he spoke of an 'afterlive'. Her smile faded though when he said that he had lost someone as well.
"My father always told me that my mother was in a place called heaven," she said though, "that it was the place where you would go if you had been a good person after you have died. He said that the people in heaven could look down at their loved ones and guide them when needed. Do you think that the person you've lost is there now as well...?"
She put a hand on top of the one he had placed on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. She wasn't sure why she had told about heaven, she wasn't even sure if she believed in it. But it did comforted her every now and then, so maybe that was why she had told him about it.

James was glad when Robyn smiled, however fainly though, and listened thoughtfully when she told him about 'heaven'. He'd never really thought of afterlife as a place where only good people went, but admittedly that sounded like a (semi-)plausible thing... or... in the least, it sounded comforting. He also liked the idea of the people who'd gone were looking over their lost ones.
When Robyn asked if she thought her lost loved one would be in heaven he let out a small, slightly emotional chuckle; "yeah," he said with a smile, "he is. At least - I mean - I'd like to think so. He was a good person..." He didn't really know what to say after that though, as a sudden rush of memories distracted him from the conversation at hand.

He snapped out of that though, a slightly surprised look on his face, quickly followed by a smile when Robyn gave his hand a squeeze. He only just begun to realize he felt very comfertable with her - and that was a rare thing to him.
Realizing how long he'd been silent now, he decided to continue the conversation. And so, the concept of heaven where the good people went after they died, he added in a half-joking tone; "well.. should we ever make it up there, you'll have to introduce me to your dad. He sounds like a nice guy." He was going to add to that 'and fortunatly I don't have to introduce you to any of my relatives because they're all horrible and surely will not end up there' but in the end he decided not to say it.