Chapter 14: A Streetcar Named Passion
Riné, Mime, and Kairi stood cramped together as Mime turned the shower head. The sound of pipes and water running through it made bizarre noises as it took half a minute for the water to come out as a hose stream.
The situation seemed grim for Mime as he watched in horror. He scratched his head before turning to ask Keth who was planning to leave, as he had already gotten ready, wearing a casual white-striped button shirt and black trousers that made him look older and professional. Mixed in with his more lackluster appearance he appeared the oldest in the group. Mime was more focused on the shower as he held a towel in his arms. They needed to get ready for the entrance ceremony and their first opponent of the day was at odds with them.
"This wouldn't happen to have a hot water function?"
Riné and Kairi didn't mind the cold and hose shower head as they were used to worse cleaning methods. For Riné, who had gone through cold showers in his days at the Kapsuet Dominion, and Kairi, who showered back at his home using a bucket and a water pail, the two were used to less than modern showers. Mime though was particularly stuck on this issue. Keth answered bluntly to urge them to get ready quickly. They needed half an hour to get to the school by streetcar and they only had an hour and a half before they needed to leave the apartment.
"No..? What are you some noble where you have heated water to waste on showers…"
The critical tone made Mime fall to the floor in grief, as the cold water poured making Mime sweat as he yelled in defeat.
"Noooooo"
After an hour Mime and Kairi had gotten ready as they wore the clothes they had brought in backup. Mime threw on a weird set of clothing, a white dress shirt, and black jeans with a silver chain with a rosary. His purple hair and chrome earring made him stick out like a sore thumb in a crowd. Kairi on the other hand had a dark green magician's upper robe embroidered with pyrite decorations with a brown undershirt pairing with plain brown pants. A clear hand-me-down from his parents that had weathered down from use. As the three waited in the kitchen for the last to finish getting ready they soon grew impatient.
"How long does this guy take to get washed?"
Keth was very close to barging down the door before Kairi intervened.
"He's probably drying his hair!"
Mime however was filling out a crossword in a newspaper that had been delivered during the time they waited.
"A five-letter word for a word that is the quality or state of being eternal hm…Oh eternity!"
As Mime wrote down the word and Kairi grabbed a cup of water the bathroom door opened as each turned their head as Riné stepped out. Kairi spat out his drink onto Keth who was distracted by Mime had their mouths agape.
"…What's wrong?"
Stepping out of the shower Riné wore the same clothes he had on yesterday however even then he was confused. His formerly tied back alabaster black hair was now let down in a sleek fashion as its ebony color reached halfway down his back creating a visual effect as the azure blended with the black creating an illustrious effect. His face skin and face now appeared to be glowing compared to before where even when he was tired, covered in dirt, and sweaty still carried his beauty now magnified tenfold as he had clearer skin and no blemishes.
'Is it because I still have wet hair and I'm still not ready?'
"I'll be ready in a minute if that's what you're worried about."
Keth was the first to snap out of it especially since he was just spat on as he scowled. Mime laughed a bit as Kairi walked closer in disbelief. He had never seen anyone this pretty even the women back in his small village were incomparable.
"Your hair is-erm.. You really take care of yourself!"
Riné was taken aback by this question. He took great care of his appearance for his own gratification and from his master's teaching. It was flattering though as Riné blushed before muttering
"It's nothing crazy…"
Mime feeling the tension in the air, decided to cough whilst placing the newspaper down before looking at the two.
"Kairi use your water magic and dry Riné's hair we should get going. Keth let's finish getting ready packing your stuff."
Keth confused was about to speak up before Mime began shoving him toward his room.
"I already- Hey!"
After reaching Keth's room Mime gave a thumbs up to Kairi that the other didn't understand as the trickster shut the door leaving them a modest amount of privacy. Riné was slightly surprised at their sudden departure before he focused on Kairi with expectant eyes that seemed to glow in Kairi's presence. In the face of such a strong gaze, Kairi couldn't help but turn away.
"I used to do this for my little siblings so I know the hang of this."
Kairi grabbed a kitchen towel placing it to the side as he conjured his mana activating his water magic. Riné's head turned downward as water droplets emerged from the damp hair into the air before collecting in the towel. Whilst this process was occurring Kairi admired Riné's hair and wanted to spark a conversation.
"Do you have any siblings?"
Upon hearing this Riné thought back to the past back in the Kapsuet Dominion and the recollection of mockery from azure-haired children made him feel disdain for those memories.
"Only half-siblings."
Kairi didn't expect this sort of answer as Riné's tone wasn't a very bright response. Attempting to reconcile a different topic he asked throwing it out without bringing up a sensitive topic.
"Any reason for the long hair?"
Riné's face grew from downtrodden to lively as he began to speak with delight.
"It's a bit of a hassle to maintain and take care of when getting ready but I really think it looks great and helps with my appearance! My master said that-"
Riné shut his mouth quickly at the slip of his master. Not a subject he can bring up easily but his master was an extremely core reason he chose long hair. Riné's master loves playing with Riné's hair and taught him that long hair was good for changing appearance in emergencies, and prettier faces had an advantage where people avoided blemishing it subconsciously. Kairi found this very humorous as he finished drying Riné's hair he lifted the hair and began tying it back.
"Ah! My bad, I'm just used to doing this for my little sisters!"
Riné was a bit shocked but remembering yesterday, when he accidentally rubbed his head he was aware of his habit of 'brotherly love' that he gave to Riné. Compared to yesterday he didn't mind as he simply shook his head. This was what friends did right? He just accepted it as common sense.
"I don't mind."
Keth and Mime finished their task as Keth and Mime came out of their room, with only Keth holding a bag of luggage. Mime seemed ready as he only had a small knapsack where he kept his meager belongings while Kairi remembered his bag needed to be packed before he attended to it. Riné however had absolutely nothing as he walked over to the two asking if they were good to go.
"Ready?"
"This guy's the last to get ready and then he asks if we're ready to go.."
Keth was a bit ticked off since he was nervous however he was consoled by Mime show as a bit curious about the solo living Keth.
"So what's the history of this place? You don't wanna leave?"
Keth sighed as he recalled his memories in the place for the last decade.
"Dad was a factory worker, lost his life in one, mom followed and then I was left here, that's how it is."
Hearing such a sad story told in such simple terms illuminated to the two the reason for Keth's external outbursts as Mime and Rine began to pat his back to his anger.
"Stop consoling me!"
It took five minutes before they each got their belongings sorted as they left the building for the bustling life of the city. Men in suits heading to work, shops bringing in customers, and stands set up with souvenirs and food called out to passersby as the four walked together attempting not to get lost as they managed to step onto a stopped streetcar. The streetcar was red in color with a name board on its top named 'Passion'. Once the four got onto the 'passion' they found themselves the only ones on it. Sophis was waiting for them as they were lost for their future they were going to face it head on. Kairi his independence, Keth his success, Mime his entertainment, and Riné his happiness. Whether they failed or not was not up to the 'passion.'
The streetcar didn't take too long for them as the driver kept quiet humming a beat that seemed to enchant the four into falling asleep on the short ride like a dream the ride was over as they each awoke and stepped off. In front of their eyes was the Sophis Academy in its grandness with thousands of years of history they felt liberated and minuscule.
Riné was the first to notice at the entrance a kiosk labeled 'New Students!'
As he pointed the kiosk out the four walked over to the student at the table as Riné had a light of recognition pop up on his face.
'Wait, isn't this?'
"It's you!"
The ginger-headed boy with glasses stood up from the kiosk with surprise on his face. Riné recognized him as the guide that was given to him by Sophis to show him around, whom he had abandoned by accident. It was because there was a huge crowd that he got lost in and found the examination room for students that he entered. Great for him since even Special Admission students had to do the entrance exam physical portion to get into the honors program.
"Um..Hello!"
The orange-haired boy felt frustrated as he adjusted his wide lens glasses to his face.
"I got a stern talking to because I lost you, y'know!"
Riné was about to apologize before he was cut off by the handing of a black suit tie. As Riné held the suit tie he realized something astounding. He was able to send his core mana through the suit tie?
"The suit tie is a memento!"
Mementos are magic items capable of being stored by the soul as incorporeal items able to be transformed from mana to physical matter. The transformation of items to mementos was a pricey process and having the suit tie be a memento was astounding. The ginger-haired student grinned as he began to explain further.
"Imbue mana into it."
Riné understood his command as he placed core mana into it, and it vanished into his body. Currently within his soul if it were placed into a hundred dividends, eighty would be taken by the second core, five would be taken by his saber, and three would be taken by the tie. As the tie was in his soul storage he summoned it into his hands and imbued mana into it, and in the next second the tie attached to his neck, and over his clothes, a second layer of clothing appeared!
"Is this the Sophis Uniform?!"
A jet black uniform attached to his body as it held a light obsidian inner button shirt, an Alabaster suit, and a tie that looked dominating.
'So this is Sophis's magic development. Superb.'