The Apathetic Professor of Esper Academy

September 20th

Lights and sounds bounce off the buildings like a strobe, and a thousand refracted sources of colour spill across the night sky.

The neon lights of the carnival's rides and garish decorations create a smoky haze, dulling the field of vision. Hazy outlines of costumed humans, the glow of the city beyond the carnival's borders, and the endless rows of lights and rides in the night create a spectacle of flashy colours and loud sounds.

Bright lights, blinking and moving to the beat of the music, light up the night sky in purples, blues, pinks, greens, and yellows. The slow, steady blinking of time and progress, the blinking of the eye on the verge of tears, or the moments of blindness between flickers of brightness.

People are talking, laughing, food roasting, cotton candy, and carousel horses, each carrying their scent as hotdogs, fries, and cotton candy waft strongly into the nose. Pretzels are salty, cotton candy is achingly sweet, and hot dogs' aroma overwhelms the senses. A strange but delicious medley of flavours, a delicious cocktail of sweetness, sourness, salinity, and bitterness, dominates the air.

Orange hand grenades are tart, cotton candy is somewhat callus on the pallet, while lemon-lime refreshment produces a pleasant tingle on the tongue. In addition to these tastes, the textures of different things can also be experienced at the carnival. The cold night air, the light prickles of fur coats and blankets, the smooth wood of the carousel horses, the cold steel of the fence, each a different texture.

Everything is sticky, the air thick with humidity. The ground is covered in gum and saturated with a sticky coat of oil and grime. In contrast with his dark brown hair styled in a messy yet stylish way, falling just above his shoulders, Nave is an imposing figure. His deep brown eyes convey intelligence and determination, while his black-fitted T-shirt accentuates his toned physique.

He wears well-worn jeans that sit low on his hips and a pair of black leather boots that are scuffed from extensive use. A knife is carried on his belt, well-maintained with a clean and sharp blade. He exudes confidence and readiness for any challenge that comes his way.

Note he only looks and emits confidence but inside, he is filled with anxiety and terror. Despite his calm exterior, Nave's mind races with doubt and uncertainty, but he knows he must push through and not let it show. He is determined not to let his fear get the best of him and to come out victorious in this competition.

Pixi focused intently on her target, her knuckles white with tension. Then, with a smooth wrist flick, three gleaming knives flew across the room and thudded satisfyingly into their marks. Nave watched in awe, his mouth slightly agape.

She's a petite figure, swaddled in a cloak of long, dark, undulating hair. Her right eye is a stunning blue with a glimmering gold speckle, while her left is a vibrant purple with silver flecks. Her skin is fair, and her complexion uneven, like a patchwork quilt.

"You know I am brandishing blades, right?" She says. Pixi's eyes glinted with mischief as she rolled up her sleeve and pulled out two long, razor-sharp blades. She expertly twirled the weapons in her hands, and for a moment, it almost seemed like the blades were suspended in the air, defying gravity. That was before she quickly hid them up her sleeve again with a flourish, a few quick gestures of her hands and an impressive demonstration of stage magic and sleight of hand.

Nave fidgeted, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Then, finally, he clenched his hands into fists and took a deep breath before he spoke in a soft, hesitant voice. "Um, listen. I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go out for dinner sometime?"

Pixi's eyes lit up and her face creased into a delighted smile. She clasped her hands together as if in prayer and said in a charmingly formal tone, "Oh! How delightful. Do I have the honour of being asked out on a courting expedition?