[center][U][B]Reates Saerne[/B][/U] - [I]The Vanishing Butterfly[/I][/center] [center][U]Loom - The Academy[/U] [I]Midday[/I][/center] Smilin' at the boy's reaction and apology, the mage patted him on the shoulder, the butterfly vanishing as Ian blinked. [B]"Oh don't worry 'bout it lad,"[/B] as the teacher's hand gripped his shoulder slightly, Ian would feel a gradual influx of soothing, but electrical, energy. His bruises, which Reates could clearly see in his essence, mended themselves at a heightened rate, causing odd tingling sensations. Any cuts he had, including the one at his lip, would itch ever so slightly as they rapidly scabbed over, closed, and then healed. This all lasted roughly fifteen seconds and when it was over, Reates remove dhis hand from the student's shoulder and smiled at him, appearing pleased with his work. However he then frowned slightly as he stared at an odd blemish [I]in[/I] the essence of Ian's shoulder. The lad might find the man's intense stare rather disconcerting, and it didn't help that Abstractis decided to chime in again. [I]'Hurt shoulder, sleep deprived. You are in straits, this is for sure,'[I] the voice was at a more comfortable volume in his mind now, above a whisper, but not a yell. Nonetheless, the sound of the ballroom did not distract from it. It was as if it pierced through all noise and inputted its words directly into the brain. His eyes drifting back over to Ian's face, Reates gestured for him to follow even as he turned and began strutting out of the crowd. He was fairly sure that he'd comply, after all, he had authority. He was a teacher, and he was quite a bit older than the lad. If Ian followed, they'd find themselves further away from the hustle bustle and near one of the exits, where it was easier to converse without having to yell --though Reates had not yelled once during their conversation. He'd been using magic to direct the sound waves to Ian's ears. It meant that very few others would have been able to hear his words, and because of that Ian would look like he was talking to a man who wasn't saying a word. Turning to Ian, had he followed, Reates beckoned him a bit closer before asking him a question. [B]"You hurt your shoulder recently, laddie, didn'tcha? I betchu did. Looks right nasty. Terrible blemish. No physical damage I'm sure. It giving you any trouble, mmm?"[/B] His tone was one that demanded Ian answer. He also sounded rather incredulous, as if he knew that the doctors had told him that it had healed properly. Meanwhile, a rather enigmatic looking fellow entered the ballroom from an entrance that led from the outside courtyard into the room. Reates noted this and, behind his back, snapped his fingers. A small shock hit the crystalline kitty who had curled up in an attempt to block out the sound. Growling, the aberration rose and glanced across the room in Reates direction. [I]Ya see the man who just entered? Powerful lookin' fellow. I can smell the mage on 'im. Check it out, will ye?[/I] Reates heard the feline grumble in his mind, but made no attempt to acknowledge it aside from a wry smirk briefly crossing his lips before he turned his attention back to Ian. Perhaps he had someone else interesting to attend to tonight. --- Weaving between the dancing feet of the humans, Rystreim looked up at the tall figure. He was enigmatic looking and he did seem to have a heavy aura of essence, in and outside of him. Odd fellow, the cat concluded, moving towards him and, against its better nature, rubbed against his leg lightly. Perhaps the fellow was kind enough to reach down and stroke his fur a bit. it'd be an enjoyable reprieve from all the unpleasantness around him that was for sure. Meanwhile, Abstractis invisibly fluttered around Ian, though the boy would not feel the air from their tiny wings, nor would he see them at all as they were perfectly translucent as well as mimicking the surrounding scenery. The butterfly found the kid's essence interesting and so one member of the swarm rested atop his shoulder, and made itself known. Its somewhat iridescent green and blue wings fanning gently and lightly brushing Ian's cheek. If the boy made any movement to swat at it, the butterfly would retreat far before the [I]attack[/I] hit. Twas another test of sorts, Reates wanted to know how accustomed to strange things Ian was, and if he could handle new and bizarre situations. A similar test was being conducted with the newcomer. Several members of Abstractis' swarm were hovering near the man that Reates had pinned a mage of some sort. They did not get close enough to alert the man, but merely drifted about roughly four or so yards away. They were as invisible as the majority which rested on Reates, and surrounded Ian making them essentially impossible to detect. They had concluded that this day would be interesting. Granted, Reates almost never failed to deliver in that area, he was quite the eccentric after all. The Abstractis swarm loved it. Rystreim on the other hand merely endured it.