South Gates

*Toby's eyes widened as he watched the girl create a staircase using a paintbrush that seemingly had not paint. Toby knew of people that had powers here, but each new one he saw still baffled him in one way or another.*

"This place never ceases to amaze me. Glad you are okay miss, I'm Tobias Frye, but people just call me Toby. Pleased to meet you." Toby said, taking her hand as she descended the staircase.

Smiling, Isabella made a polite curtsey.
"Pleased to meet you as well, Toby. My name is Isabella Mercier."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you do that? that brush you used didn't seem to even have any paint on it. I've seen a fair bit already but what you just displayed is more astounding than I've ever seen..." Toby said, completely intrigued by this girl.

Isabella giggled softly at his question and lifted up Teishoku.
"You mean Teishoku? It's an enchanted paintbrush my godfather gave me. I'm a mage, and my powers center mainly around art. My mother used to own an artshop, and my godfather was a magical artist. My brother preferred music, but i've always loved art," she asnwered him.

"What a coincidence, I'm a mage as well." Toby said, extracting a large staff from a pocket in his suit. About half the height of Toby, made of a silver wood encrusted with a ruby that seemed to have a small flame flickering inside of it. Toby waved it gently and created two butterflies out of flames, which fluttered gently on the breeze.

"I'm the black sheep of the family, the human born into a clan of werewolves. So my father got me into magic, so i wouldn't be useless..." Toby said as he had the butterflies circle Isabelle gracefully.

Laughing, Isabella painted out a matching butterfly, but in a different color, watching as it fluttered around with the ones Toby had created.
"Useless...? Why on earth would you be useless for just being a human...?"

"The family's werewolf heritage dates back to the first werewolf, they look down on anything remotely human. They killed my moter for the sole reason that she bore me. Had i grown to ten years old and displayed nothing unique, they would have killed me. This mark under my eye is meant to signify that." Toby said, pointing at the black pattern under his left eye.

"Mmm...that's rather sad," she mused, "no one should be treated like that."
Carefully lifting up her brush, she painted over his mark, watching it fade into his skin.
"You dont seem anything bad or our of the ordinary to me...You're unique, but in your individual way..."

"Oh, I'm not unique in terms of how people are around here but I've grown up learning magic. I read a spell once, I never forget it and can perform it effortlessly. Not that spectacular, but its a handy skill." Toby said, watching the butterflies circle Isabelle.

"That does sound like a good skill to have," Isabella laughed, then took a step back. "Pardon me for the odd request, but may I paint you?" she asked softly.

"Sure, I'm hardly ever this open to somene I just met, why stop now." Toby grinned, suprised with himself just how quickly he met someone he would consider a friend.

"Please, stay still then," she giggled.
Surprisingly, though, for one about to paint a picture, she set down her sketchbook, and again took out no paints. With light, swift strokes, she began to paint the air, as if she was creating a sculpture, and it began to take form into an exact replica of Toby as she worked.

*Toby stayed as still as he could and admired Isabelle's work. It was as if looking in a mirror. The detail of the mark underneath Toby's eye was perfect and comparing the staff to the replica was as if he was seeing double, the exact length, the exact same shade of colour, right down to the shape of the ruby.*

"Thats amazing... Now i really feel insignificant here." Toby joked, grinning at Isabelle.

"Aww, now don't feel like that!" Isabella laughed. "I paint like this," she said, stepping away after the finishing touches, "to show you what you look like to me.

As she finished with those words, the painting stretched, and seemed to become alive, smiling at Toby and bowing to him.

"Its like looking into a mirror, only the painting is a little better looking." Tenzo chuckled, poking the replica slightly to see if any paint would run off, but instead it felt entirely solid, just like a human being. Out of nowhere, Toby felt the desire to show off.

"Since you did something for me, I feel i ought to do something for you." Toby said, kneeling down and picking up a handful of sand.

"Selante dios zumni" Toby incated, the sand forming into a barely recognisable shape. Waving the staff, the butterflies circling Isabelle fluttered into the sand and turned it into glass, forming a butterfly perched on a flower. Toby picked it up carefully as it was still a little hot and held it up to Isabelle.

"For you." Toby said, offering up the sculpture.

Smiling, delighted, Isabella took the statue carefully from him.
"Thank you! This is absolutely lovely!"
Taking a small step to the side, she gestured at the replica.
"Try to perform another technique. Choose carefully, too."

"Okay, this one is just a good party trick." Toby said, grabbing his bags and placing them in front of him. Placing his hand outtowards the bags Toby uttered the incantation.

"Bertos Den Kirches Duhman." Toby said.

*At first, it looked like nothing was happening, but then suddenly, the bags began to waltz. Taking a bow, Toby laughed as he watched his sleeping bag dip the suitcase.

Laughing as well, Isabella set down the statue and clapped. Smiling, she painted identical objects for the replica, and watched as it performed the exact same technique that Toby had, the objects she'd painted copying the originals exactly.

*Toby was continually amazed by Isabelle's gifts. She could easily mimic absolutely anything that Toby did. She could eaily become a superpower with her gift.*

"You're amazing, do you know that?" Toby asked.

Blushing at Toby's comment, Isabella shook her head.
"N-No, I'm just some silly little fille de Nice!" she murmured, accidentally slipping into French halfway through her sentence.

"Its true, you're already very powerful, think what you will be like within a month. We'll have both grown much stronger by then, and I'm sure we will still both be good friends as well. I'll have to introduce you to my cousin, he can do some rather amazing things as well, he basically proved the existance of the soul to me." Toby said, getting a little carried away.

Smiling and laughing a little nervously, Isabella pushed some of her hair behind her ear.
"You think so...?"
I've always found the soul to be contained in every color and speck of light..

"Yeah, sorry, I'm getting carried away again. I was saying that you will meet many people here with amazing gifts and abilities, all of them a lot more exciting than mine. I've lived here for a couple of months and have seen some wonderous things. However, theres also been some horrible rumours going around. Theres been talk of a necromancer, a controller of the dead having come to Hokkaido. Apparently he has killed a few people, I suggest staying out of his way as much as possible. There was also a ruckus last night, two people were killed by a group of hunters, I have no idea why. Hokkaido is an interesting place to live, but it also has its dangers." Toby said.

Nodding slowly, Isabella looked to the dancing baggage and the replica, which watched on obediently.
"Yes...I've heard about the Necromancer already as well..."

"So promise me you'll be careful, I hope to see you again." Toby said, waving the staff causing the bags to fall motionless. Toby walked over to Isabella and gave her a gentle hug.

"I'll see you around." Toby said as he picked up his bags and entered the academy.

(gotta go, nearing midnight and i have college first thing)