Songs of Wind and Fire (AC/Alex)

[DrgnmastrAlex]

The Sanctum had seen its fair share of heroes pass through its halls.  Some were not worthy of note, acting mostly as infantry or grunts, or quickly abandoning their posts for a variety of reasons; other had more involvement and notice, due to their skills or knowledge.  But there were a few that had withstood the charms and thralls of the Organization, proving, so far, to be heroes.

Asuna hoped she would fall into that last category, and many of the higher-ups of the Sanctum had hopes along those lines as well, due to her unique abilities.

As she meandered around the grounds, familiarizing herself with the layout, she knew she had the potential to help the Sanctum.  It was hard not to get a little prideful, but she tried to keep herself humble, knowing she was still untested, and that she had a long way to go.

[AC DF]

And for those heroes who were untested, the best way was to often have one who had been forged in the fires of temptation and lust and come out even stronger in spite of it. Andy had made this unlikely journey, and he was always more than happy to help heroes and heroines alike at the Sanctum. Though, his time was usually focused on other things...

"Ninety-nine...one hundred. There we go, Tamamo-chan~." Andy said, giving his partner's tail one final brush before setting it aside. He sat back with a sigh and put the ivory brush away. He'd wanted to do something nice for the kitsune considering that there was Sanctum business afoot today, and who knew how long that could take.

"So, I hope they gave her good directions. This place can get kinda confusing when you get to the living areas." He mused aloud, his head lulling back and eyes staring at the ceiling.

[DrgnmastrAlex]

Tamamo chuckled as Andy finished brushing her tail.  From all the attention it received, it was starting to look rather luxurious and bright, getting some envious looks from Juni on occasion, when they saw each other.

"Well, I'm sure she'll be okay.  If she does get lost, she can always ask around."

---

Although she did get turned around a few times, she eventually found her way to the main living quarters, where the more experienced heroes resided.

"Okay... what's this guy's name again?  Andrew...?  Andy.  That's what it was."

She popped her neck a bit with a quick twitch to ease off some tension, then entered, following the written instructions she had pulled out of her pocket.  It only took her about ten minutes before she arrived at the door where Andy would reside, and she knocked sharply and promptly, shoving the note back in her pocket.

[AC DF]

Andy would give Tamamo's cheek a kiss before rising up to answer the door. He greeted the new recruit with a grin.

"Hello there! You must be Asuna, right?" He offered his hand to her. "I'm Andy, let me welcome you to the Sanctum."

His grip would be firm, but friendly. Though his eyes were subtly sizing up the woman before him. There was something familiar about her...but he couldn't quite place it.

[DrgnmastrAlex]

Tamamo would get a light blush on her cheeks before composing herself, as the newcomer was met at the door.

---

"Uh, hi.  Yes, I'm Asuna.", she said, shaking his hand.  Intuitively, she felt that Andy was estimating her, and she could tell he was a skilled martial artist as well by his composure.  She caught sight of another in the room, and saw a pretty kitsune.

"I... assume she's a partner in your missions?", she asked, her gaze flicking back to Andy.  She wasn't sure exactly if Sanctum members were allowed to have romantic entanglements.

[AC DF]

"She's my partner in a lot of things." He said, looking back and giving the kitsune a knowing smile. "This is Caster, she is technically my Servant, but you'll learn more about those later." He said, stepping back.

"Come on in, Asuna. We don't need to get down to business just yet." Andy gestured to a teapot on the table near the couch. "Can I get you some tea?"

[DrgnmastrAlex]

What Andy said piqued a bit of Asuna's interest, but she decided to leave the subject alone.  Giving a curt bow, she stepped into the room, before nodding.

"I'd like some, yes.  Does it need heating, though?"

[AC DF]

"Hmmm...true." Andy looked to Caster and held it out to her. "Do you wanna warm this up with some magic, Caster? Or should I do it the old fashioned way?" He waited for her answer before turning to Asuna.

"So, tell me, Asuna, what do you bring the Sanctum?"

[DrgnmastrAlex]

"Oh!  Certainly.  Just a moment...huh?", Caster spoke, a little surprised as Asuna moved over to the teapot, and a small flame wrapped around the pot.  It lasted just a few seconds, and by the time the flame went out, steam was already escaping through the spout.

"That's part of what I can bring.", Asuna quipped.  "Give it a couple of minutes, though.  The pot itself will need to cool off."

[AC DF]

Andy grinned at Asuna's display.

"My turn now." He said, a swirl of green wind whirling about the teapot's base. He dropped the pot and held out a hand toward it. The swirl keeping the pot aloft and hovering until it rested on the table. Andy grinned even wider and pumped his fist.

"Yes~, my finer control's gotten a lot better."

[DrgnmastrAlex]

Asuna gave an impressed look at Andy's manipulation of wind.

"Very nice.  You moved that like a professional.", she said, before aiming two fingers at the bowl's lid.  Wind swirled again, gently lifting the lid off and laying it on the table, in order to let some excess steam out.

"You're not the only one, though.", she grinned.

[AC DF]

He blinked in surprise, looking down at the lid.

"Was that...Zephyr?" He scratched his head. "Well...I guess it'd make sense if someone got ahold of it naturally. I mean, I kinda got mine from a former user." He said, creating a sphere of green wind before letting it dissipate.

"And you've got two mantles? Or just one hybrid?" His hand rested against his chin and he stared at Asuna intently.

"Where are you from?"

[DrgnmastrAlex]

"Zephyr....?  Mantle?"  Asuna had a confused look on her face, but gave a quick reply.  "I simply use magic that best fits my personality.  An elemental affinity, if you'd like to call it that.  I'm not familiar with the term 'mantle', though.  As for getting ahold of it naturally, I suppose I did..."

She gave a sheepish glance, before explaining, "I'm from a kingdom to the East, called Jyou-Hei.  Specifically, a kind of secluded training ground where I was taught how to adapt natural magical prowess into physical combat.  In a sense, I use magic in my physical strikes, and physical strikes in my magic."

Going over how Andy manipulated the wind, she appraised him further.  "You mentioned you attained your skills from a former user.  What exactly did you mean by that?"

[AC DF]

Andy bent down and poured Asuna a cup of tea. He motioned to the chair across from the loveseat Caster was sitting on and poured the kitsune a cup as well. Finally, he poured himself a drink and sat down.

"You see, my power lies in copying the powers of others. Though it has to be a specific type of power." He nodded over a worn leather pouch hanging on a bed post. "That bag belong to someone who had the Zephyr Mantle. It let him control the wind. The bag had been in his presence long enough to absorb some of his magical essence." He took a sip of his tea.

"My power latched onto that, and once I got the hang of it that mantle became my own."

[DrgnmastrAlex]

Asuna sat down in the chair, giving a curt nod and smile to the kitsune, before listening to Andy's explanation.

"If your power operates as you described, its quite unique, and very powerful.  Theoretically, you could learn how to manipulate all the elements and variations of them, and possibly some of the most powerful, primal forms of magic.  Of course.... this means you'd be able to use some of the more negative forms of magic as well."

She took a taste, giving a satisfactory 'mmm' of the taste, before she added, "This doesn't mean that magic is bad, though.  But you must be cautious with such things, on the chance that you accidentally pick up the means to use it.  That's what I learned with fire: its neutral in its applications and nature, but its also somewhat chaotic.  It can bounce, jump, dance... it doesn't like to sit still, and its full of energy.  Which is why its very compatible with wind, which doesn't stay still and is playful in its own way, but is also more subdued and subtle.  That's how I've become so proficient with both.  Heheh...."