Snippet #2632283

Wayland drifted, in mind and body. Wandering around the camp almost absentmindedly devouring ingots of steel as he went, every time he finished one he'd pull another out of his pocket and devour it. It was frustrating for him, watching the others grow, and yet, it made him swell with pride that they were getting stronger, even if his own growth seemed to have stagnated.

What am I doing wrong? He'd ask himself, posing the question to his inner world, talking to the flames, to the presence he knew to be there. The closest thing he ever got to an answer was a feeling of amusement and a single errant thought. Everything, he was doing everything wrong.

So, he wandered, eating ingots as he went. The days flashing by in a flurry of training and comraderie.

Of the older member, Dominic was the one that Wayland actively spoke to the most, mainly due to his need for a steady supply of metals and Dominic being the guy to ask for them. Other times he would simply sit with Luka as he assessed his inner self and attempted to strengthen his inner world, as he let her innate energies wash over him in relaxing waves, he never spoke to her, if she spoke to him he would respond but usually their time spent in each others company would be in companionable silence. The other old timers he mingled with, feeling drawn to do so for some reason he chose not to think too hard about.

The new members, those summoned for this cycle were busy busy, all training like mad. He supposed he would look a little too laid back in comparison, but his muscles did not atrophy from lack of use, nor did his skills dull from a lack of training. Still, he made an effort to get to know every person that he would be fighting next to, to the people he may very well die next to. Whether that be through sparring with Volga, doing his utmost to push her to the limits of her swordsmanship, calling up the knowledge of every Nordic fighting style he could think of he did his best to pass them on to her.

Or through simply chatting with Ivan, using his own innate grasp of metals and metallurgic theories to discuss the interworking of all forms of engineering and how they pertaining to the world and his magics, trying to help him in any way he could with his projects or simply to sit and chat with the young man he felt he knew but didn't know why.

Kira approached him herself. Making him laugh so hard he actually nearly fell, when she asked if she could play with his body. He consented, for reasons that were still beyond him she felt familiar in a way that simply set him at ease, and nearly unable to deny her requests that weren't damaging to himself or others.

The ladies Charmeine and Anima saw little of his attention, he felt that the angel would likely not appreciate it and as she seemed to always be in the slimes company he didn't get to know her either. Whenever their paths did cross he would drudge up memories of meeting VIP's on his home world and treat her the same, polite and cordial, but in the end they were building a shallow relationship, he regretted it but could see no way to correct it at the time.

The rest he did his best to get to know more. Getting drinks like promised with Elena and asking her for tales from her time as a sailor, wiling those hours away in a relaxed state as he listens to the words. Doing his damndest to approach the seemingly skittish Rosa whenever he saw her. He wasn't entirely sure how that went but he figured he had to make the effort.

And still there were more people. He'd tried to approach the young man, Allan, he recalled, but could never bring himself to interrupt his training, as he seemed driven, Wayland could appreciate that, respect it, and thus didn't bother him.

And so he spent his time, struggling to get stronger and seeming to make no progress, frustrated but proud as those around him got stronger and stronger as he stayed the same. Nothing interesting happening until one day River left his door open.

Something like amusement raced through his soul as he looked at the door, making his way almost without thinking about it towards it, the others crowding around, waiting he supposed to see what was going on, seeming to form a perimeter around the entrance. He strode right passed them, the beat of his soul shifting for a moment to a different tempo as he looks into the room and an unfamiliar, to himself at least, grin pulling at his lips as he catches River's eye and in one motion grabs the door handle and closes the door with a single sharp move.

He barked out a laugh, alien amusement swelling in his chest as he walks back towards the crowd of onlookers, until he comes back to himself.

The hell did I just do?