Blank Pages (Bix)

[Tiao Lei Shen]

Paragon Institute, not surprisingly, did very little to actually educate their students. Not much longer than a year ago Tiao had blown off his classes, rather spending his time skating, surfing, or in more legitimate cases dealing with Pillar duties. Now at Paragon, Tiao had become thirsty for more knowledge. He had never been stupid, not by any means. It was only because he was always next to Darren Blayne, former School Captain and Valedictorian of '08, that his top 10 percentile was never recognized.

Not that he ever minded being known strictly for his ferocity in combat.

Regardless, Tiao found himself spending much more time in libraries and book stores, today being located in the latter. Rather than study sadism 101 taught by Principal Davis, Tiao rather studied the core subjects that would get him placed into a good college. Today, however, Tiao entered a store he had never been inside before. He wondered if it was new, or if he simply hadn't paid as close attention as he should have lately. He doubted he would find much about Statistics or American Government here though. After all, it was all books on the Occult.

Walking out from the isles of the shelves, Tiao looked at the girl behind the register. "Excuse me." Tiao said, getting her attention.

"Exactly how many witches do you actually get coming in and out of here?" Tiao said without any hint of humor in his voice, though not holding back on any arrogance or contempt.

[Bix]

Boredom
Another Day

Another day at work. The world out side the door. Was chilled. With oncoming winter. The few trees. That resided within. The bustling city. Had lost their leaves. The day of thanks was coming. Once more. What had once started. As a dinner between two races. Became ripe with religious sentiment. It was interesting. To the young woman. That sat behind the counter. That religions wormed its way. Within most holidays. She had read once. That Christmas. Had not started out as a religious holiday either. But. Tell a fanatic that. And they would think you a sinner. Bix kept her advanced. Overworking mind to herself. Bix adored information. Adored learning things. Adored gathering the information on others. On things. On history. On everything that she could.

The chimes rang. Over the door. The windchime to keep the spirits within. The souls within. Her blue eyes looked up. From the book she was reading. Her blue bangs covered her eyes. A bit. Keeping them completely. From view. It was a customer. Or a curious one. Most people. Came in here. Just to laugh at the things here. To read the books. To talk to her. And laugh on the way out. People were curious. About things they did not understand. Witchcraft was one of those. Her eyes looked back down. The job here. Was overall boring. Bix had read most of the books. And she practiced at work too. Because. She had all the ingrediants. At her fingertips. The discount. Definatly was enough to work here. 40% off was something that. She could not beat eslewhere. And funny thing. They did not hand coupons out. For witchcraft stores.

The man looked around. One she had not seen before. A curious passerby. she assumed. Or perhaps. He had just moved here. And wished to find. His supplies. To meet a male witch. Would certainly be a novelty. Something she could imagine. To enjoy. A friend. That would not judge. Her eyes returned to the laptop within her lap. Her fingers went back to racing. Homework? Hardly. Research was more like it. Back into her own quiet world she went. That was. Until he came to the desk. Interupting her again.

She was dressed. As usual. In her own style. Black leggings today. Dissappeared into her boots. Combat like boots. Seven silver rings on the left boot. Braclet in size. Around her ankle. A blue skirt. That was actually denim. But had been frayed severely at the edge. A blue shirt on her upper form. Thick black stripes. Vertically down her torso. It was long sleeve. Ending is netted gloves. That were fingerless. Her blue hair. Except for her bangs. Was pulled back in a pony tail. She was pale. Very pale in skintone. Not albino. Just. Did not do things in the sun.

His question was asked. An extremely rare smile crossed her face. The witch nodded.

"Me."

Her answer was simple. But true. She was a witch. And she did come in here. Often. Not only to work. But to shop.

"Otherwise, few, enter these hallowed doors. In business, we stay. Those that need services, do come."

Bix's eyes returned to her computer. And then. Shot back up to the stranger. She was off soon. Her relief would come. And the rest of the day. Would be hers. To do as she wished. That was. Unless this young man. Needed services. Or perhaps wished for the knowledge. Of the arcane.

"Curious you are, why?"

[Tiao Lei Shen]

"Hallowed."

Tiao's hands slipped up from the side of his jeans, pulling into the pockets in his green khaki jacket. Pivoting on his left foot, a rare smile also made its way onto Tiao's face as he turned a 180 and back. Besides the one worded restate, Tiao said nothing in response to the girl for the time being. Simply finding amusement in his surroundings and the girl herself.

"Well, Yoda...let's just say I'm a skeptic on the whole occult thing."

Tiao paused, taking the time to slip back into the edge of one of the aisles, removing a book from the shelf and opening it. He flipped through the pages, glancing at several incantations as well as detailed pictures of sacrfices. Tiao's brow furrowed upon the picture of a woman slitting a goats throat as the blood poured down onto what looked like a pentagram. Removing the book, Tiao placed it back where it was located and turned back to face the girl.

"Magic is just an early form of trying to understand things. Take my Father's teachings about Chi for example: it used to be mystified, claiming that one could heal, destroy, or even transform themselves into a dragon upon its concentration. Obviously, its nothing but old fools telling stories about things they don't understand yet. Chi exists, sure...but its not anything that can't be explained through focused breathing and adrenaline. Turning people into frogs, well... that's just stories women created to keep us men at bay."

Tiao paused, placing his hands back into his jacket's pockets as he gave a soft shrug towards the girl.

"Or would you disagree?"

[Bix]

Skeptic
Bring It

He repeated her word. Hallowed. A smile then. Upon his face. She watched him. With her blue eyes. Curious as to. What he was doing. He wanted to know a witch. And yet. At the same time. He didn't seem to believe. Perhaps he was a skeptic? She ran into them. Often. many also thought. Her insane. For believing that it worked. That witchcraft was real. But she did not. Let it phase her. People would always think this. And she would always shrug her shoulders. If she was meant. Not to have friends or someone special. Because o fher beliefs. Then so be it. She was not a creature of sociability. Instead was quite. Happy within her own world.

He called her yoda. Not the first to do so. However this name. It always brought up. One question. Who. Was. Yoda? She had thought once. To google it. But, when at home she had. Other things to do. Than research this name. And at school. She tried to strain. Out an education in the violent halls. However, one day. She would break down and ask. Perhaps Pine. He would likely. Tell her the truth. More so than others would. She was not as worldly. In the art of movies. As some might think.

"Justified, your opinion is."

She answered. Her little skeptic. She enjoyed a challenge. Proof that this worked. She had. She was not without spells. Without many things. And she enjoyed a skeptic. Especially when at the end. They believed. It had happened before. It was rare. But possible. Still though, he moved. Hiding his smile. From her view. As he moved to the bookshelf. Taking a book from the shelf. Thumbing through it. It was allowed. Many looked for a certain spell. Before they would purchase. For some books. Repeated the spells. Of others. And no one. Wanted the same spell. Six times. Written by different authors.

Bix would not. Care though. What he did. She returned her eyes. To the internet. And went back to typing. Her pale fingers. Moving over the keyboard with practiced ease. He spoke then of Chi. And how it, like magic. Was just another form of the body. Of breathing properly. Of adreneline. A slow grin crept across her face. A worthy adversary to be sure. Her hand rose. Closing the laptop. Putting it to sleep. Bix tilted her chair back. Setting the laptop to the side. She put her boots up on the counter. Beside the register. so she was leaning back in her seat. Watching him as he ran through. His explanation. Before he asked. If she agreed.

"Disagree, I do." she explained in her quiet voice. "Adrenaline. Breathing. Yes. But spirit and soul are strong. Forces that govern one's body. Each body. An inner and outter spirit it has. Many not in touch with the inner. Only the outter. Thus. One sided. One demensional. Few grow to touch, the inner. Chi. Witchcraft. Touches. Empowers. Embodies. The inner."

She explained. Though. She did not expect him to understand. Afterall. He was probably. One of the many sheep in the world. Governed by. Television. magazines. The news. But there was more. Hidden within a mind and body. Than most understood.

[Tiao Lei Shen]

Tiao smirked again, giving the girl a short nod as he walked up to the desk. As she continued to give her rebuttal Tiao placed his right elbow upon the desk, leaning upon it for the time being as he crossed his legs. He nodded along as she spoke, not only acknowledging that he was listening but that he didn't exactly disagree with everything she was saying.

"You sound more like a Bodhisattva than a witch, if you ask me..." Tiao started, pushing himself off the desk.

"I'm quite familiar with the inner spirit. I agree with you in its strengths. The northern shaolin understands this, and its largely a part of why I'm much stronger than any of my opponents at Hircine were, and certainly why Paragon is full of weaklings. You must unite inner and outer to create true strength."

As Tiao spoke, he displayed a short section of his Tiger form. Keeping his back straight he slid his left foot out from him, extending it as his right foot bent. In a fluid motion Tiao popped up on his left foot, moving in the same direction as he palmed out in a tiger claw, showing rather impressive speed, power, and precision. As he finished, he stood up straight once again, facing the girl behind the desk once more.

"But your inner is nothing more than small tricks hid from the untrained eye. Breathing and small movements. Your spirit, your soul...what makes you think its anything more than just your heart? Unmatched determination? Do you honestly believe there's anything supernatural in the works?"

[Bix]

Stranger
A Worthy Opponent

He seemed to agree. Or at least. He understood. What she was saying. Which was more than most. But Bix was enjoying this. Being here. Talking. To someoine that actually. Craved knowledge. She remembered. The times that she was. Much like him. Before she surpassed asking. And began finding. But that did not mean. She knew everything. Far from it. But she researched. On her own. More often than not. With her strange ways. People were less. Responsive. Than if. She inquired in a different way. Than if she was normal. But she was not. And enjoyed that fact.

He explained. That he believed what she said. That she was not alone in her theory. something she knew of. But he explained too. That it was why. He was so much stronger. Than the people at Hircine. Her own school. And Paragon. The school she had not yet been to.

"Violent minds. Know, no spirit."

He moved then. Into a way. That she had never seen before. Perhaps it was. Some sort of stance. Fighting or otherwise. But she had never seen it. It had never been used on her. For her. Nor had she learned it. Perhaps. It was part. Of the Shaolin people. But she could say nothing. As she watched. It was magnificent. The way he moved. Such precision. She could see. Where that. Would be handy. In a fight. He went on. To say that she could not say. That spirit was different than heart. Breathing and the like. Another smile. Flashed across her face.

"The heart. Guided by emotions, it is. Easily swayed, it can become. Spirit. Rock hard, standing strong. To be shaken. In spirit. Is hard. The heart, guided easily. Taken advantage of, changed. Angered. Emotions. Drive the flesh. Spirit, a center. A ground. A place to return, it is."

[Tiao Lei Shen]

"I see what you're saying..." Tiao saw the girls point, though he was unsure if he agreed or not.

"I have no true concept on religion, as buddhism is more of a philosophy than anything at its roots. To me, the soul isnothing more than my conciousness, and that conciousness comes from the heart. There are intangible ideas or concepts, but you can always trace them back to the biological. Bone structure, muscles and lung span give you power. Your brain gives you intelligence and your senses, perception. To think that something tangible can come from something intangible, like magic from a soul, was something I'm not quick to accept."

Tiao sighed and turned around a moment, eyeing the numbers of books upon the shelves. He took a moment to let the girl soak in the information, or respond if she chose. Turning back around, Tiao had a quizzical look upon his face, seeming as if even he was unsure on what he was about to ask.

"So I take it you have cast spells, yourself?"

[Bix]

Enjoyment
Dare she say Fun?

He seemed to understand. Which was more than she could say. For most people. Many times. What she said. Went over the heads of others. They did not understand. What she meant. What she was like. What she understood. Bix was intelligent. In the areas that she wished to be. There are other areas. She deemed unnecessary. And therefore. She did not waste her time. She did not even try. In school. She just did, what was required. And then. She moved on. Enough to get by. Her eyes watched him. As he explained. That while belief. Was one thing. It could be traced. Back again. To a biological process. It was true. It was amazing. How science could explain much. But yet. How it could explain only. To a degree. Before it became invalid. Leaving questions unanswered. More times than not.

He fell silent. And turned. His eyes roaming. Over the store. That was once behind him. Bix said nothing. Sitting there. It was not her job. Nor her purpose to justify herself. Nor his beliefs. Though, he had a point. She agreed. Time passed. And he then, looked at her again. Something odd. In his face. And emotion that she had never seen. Not upon a face. She waited. A question he might have. She was unsure. It was hard to say. But then he spoke. Her brow rose.

"Many." her answer simple.

"Many questions, and much curiosity you are filled with." Bix stated as she sat up in her chair a bit. Her boots hitting the floor. A loud noise ensued. Placing her hands up on the counter. "Wonder, do I, why you are, so curious. Witchcraft. A powerful curiosity, it is. All consuming. It may become."

She reached up. Tucking a bit. Of her bangs. Back behind her ear. Bothering her. They were.