Home on the Range...? ((OPEN))

[kagome]

She drew the bow back until her right hand touched her right ear. The nocked arrow quivered ever so slightly in anticipation, even as she did. Stretching back the string a tiny bit further, the girl sighted her target... aimed with her left eye closed... and released the arrow.

Kagome nearly cussed in frustration. That was the fifth time in a row that she'd missed. Glaring at the untouched red-and-white target she'd snitched from the archery range, she stomped over to where the arrow had whizzed past the intended "prey" and had embedded into a tree beyond. She ran her hands through her already-disheveled raven hair, then pried the arrow from the tree and returned it to the quiver on her back. Kagome gave a heavy sigh and went back to her mark, one hundred paces back from the target. She nocked another arrow and raised the bow, pulling back the string half-heartedly.

The pretty first year changed her mind and gently lowered her weapon, slipping her quiver off of her shoulder and leaning it against a nearby tree along with her bow. She sank to the ground and sat on her previously discarded school uniform jacket, allowing a cool breeze to play across her face and bare arms. Her white ribbed tank seemed to glow in the afternoon sunlight that filtered through the tree leaves, but Kagome knew it was only a sheen of perspiration that covered her skin. Grateful that she had foreseen to bring a water bottle, she dug it out of her bag and unscrewed the cap.

As she sipped thoughtfully, Kagome tried to figure out why she had been missing her mark all afternoon. Archery had always been one of her favorite activities; she could spend hours making one bull's-eye after another, and anywhere she could shoot felt a little like home. But today... it all seemed different. Wrong, somehow. Perhaps it was because she was no longer in her Japanese home, and the environmental change was too drast for subconscious. This was her first time practicing at the Chocolat' Academy, after all. (Which was why she was alone out in the woods instead of on the archery range- she didn't care to have others seeing her for the first few practices.) That's probably all it was. And as soon as she had become settled into her routine here and gotten used to the place, two weeks tops she speculated, she would be back to normal. Kagome hoped so.

Springing to her feet with new-found hope, she grabbed up her bow and quickly nocked an arrow. Drawing it back past her ear, she aimed and released in rapid sequence. And missed.

"DAMMIT!!!" she shouted at no one. Or at least, she thought that no one was there.

[Naga the Serpent]

A walk was never such a bad idea. Especially for a new teacher to the school. Naga was a little nervous, but she still had a high spirit in her. She had quickly gotten settled in her room and had began to take a stroll in the forest of Light. Had a pretty name, Naga figured it would be pretty as well.

her long purple hair blew in the small wind. Her booted feet took her on each step. She was never much of a nature person. But might as well while she was here and all of that. She sighed deeply, letting the cool air flow through her. Not bad at all.

"oh than this get any better?" She hummed to herself with mild blush on her cheeks.

Before to long, her ears caught different sounds near by. It was like quick movements or something. Almost like small piece of wood moving. Naga was really that close? Who could it be that Naga did not sense before? With extreme curiosity, she peeked through the bushes only to see a girl.. She had a bow and some arrows with her. Interesting. Guessing from the determination and whatnot, she was a natural.

She tilted her head and continued to watch. Suddenly-

"DAMMIT!"

Naga let a yipe leave her lips. Not expecting such a loud noise come from someone so graceful. Naga fixed herself up and made her way out from the bushes. "Why do you curse yourself? I think you did beautifully!" She commented like a teenager commenting on another girls prom dress. "Maybe you're tired?" Naga, being the odd way she was, was more than happy to walk up to complete strangers. Hopefully this girl did not mind. From what she saw and read in data and whatnot, she was a new student. Well, how unique. She was new too.

Whatever the case, Naga hated seeing others upset. nothing wrong with cheering them up, right? She held her wide grin to the girl, awaiting some kind of reply.

[kagome]

As soon as she had shot the arrow and cussed aloud (well, yelled it), Kagome threw her bow on the ground, fully aware that she could really damage it. She was beyond frustrated with herself. She got up and kicked her jacket into the air, letting it fall back to the ground. Suddenly she heard a noise, a rustling of sorts, in the woods near where she was practicing. Quickly retrieving her weapon, she set an arrow to the string, but didn't pull back; she ran her fingers menacingly over the feathers on the shaft, letting whoever it was know that she meant business and was not one to mess with.

She heard a small yelp at her curse and a young woman made her way into the clearing in Kagome's eyesight... she nearly dropped her bow (and her jaw) in surprise. The woman. Well then. She didn't appear to be much older than Kagome herself, but she was certainly wearing something Kagome never would. It looked like the girl was dressed for a goth swimsuit competition, in a black string bikini, black gloves, weird spikey shoulder armor, and an extraordinarily odd necklace with a mini skull. A cape hung from her shoulders. Kagome's eyes widened as her eyebrows raised nearly to her hairline, trying not too look at the lines of the swimsuit but unable to look away.

No joke, the newcomer was hot. In a kind of slutty way. But when she opened her mouth and spoke, Kagome was even more surprised. The young woman... complimented her on her form? With a confused look, Kagome responded perhaps a bit too harshly. "What good does it do to look 'beautiful' if I miss my mark?" she asked, frustrated that the girl didn't GET it. At the suggestion of being tired, Kagome sighed.

"Yes, I am tired, and that doesn't excuse my ill temper. I'm sorry I snapped at you," she apologized. "I'm just really frustrated that I can't seem to hit the target! You don't have any suggestions with THAT, do you?" A hopeful note tinged Kagome's voice.

"Oh!" All of a sudden, she realized she hadn't introduced herself. "I am Kagome Higurashi. I'm a first year here. What is your name?" She was almost afraid to ask the other's name, as it might be something... odd... to match her clothing style.

[Naga the Serpent]

"Huh?"

Naga raised a brow at the girl's first response. She took a step back and raised her arms in instinctive defense. "Wha?" Naga looked at the girl, blinking in confusion. Did she say something wrong..? In this case, most likely yes.

She sighed and lowered her arms, then crossing them under her chest. "Oh, no need to apologize. It seems I have caught you at a bad time." She informed with a straight nod of her head. Naga stays still, letting one foot step before the other. Seems this young girl was not having the best time of her life right now. She chuckled to herself as the girl asked if she knew anything about this. Seemed the girl knew more about this archery stuff then she did, most likely.

"I am sorry, my dear, but I am afraid I do not. Magic is more my style." Naga informed briefly, waving a hand in the air. Mystical patterns formed from her hand and quickly faded away, like small stars. She moved her hand back into the crossed formation and moved her weight on her left leg as she watched the girl.

She did seem tired at the moment. Why was she working so hard. There was an archery area form what she saw on the map... maybe that place would be better for her. But whatever the case, Naga once again tilted her head to the other side as the girl moved to introduce herself. She seemed to be at a nicer tone now, Naga felt she would be able to deal with it all now.

Slowly, she uncrossed her arms and let her right arm take hold of her hip. "Well, nice to meet you, Kagome." she smiled and nodded kindly. "I am Naga the Serpent! The Sorceress of adventure and Power! OH HO HO HO!!!" Naga announced gleefully, raising her right hand to her left cheek, making a small wave and looked tot he sky momentarily.

She looked back to Kagome and moved to a normal position. "Anyways, I am the newest addition to their teachers, believe it or not. I help teach the Magical Abilities class. Hopefully it will all work out." Naga giggle to herself and closed her eyes momentarily. A sigh leaving her lips.

"So I see the art of archery is your thing?" She asked, pretty much knowing the answer.

[kagome]

She waved off Kagome's apology with grace, saying she must have caught her at a bad time. Kagome watched as she shifted her weight to her other foot and crossed her arms, fascinated by the newcomer. Kagome continued to look at the odd girl, expecting the answer she gave about her question. "Yes, I thought not. You don't look like the... er, the archer type," she said with a sigh, giving the other young woman a quick once-over. However, she was surprised when a beautiful light appeared around her hand, saying something about magic being her thing... the spell spread through the air a little, forming ethereal patterns, before retracting back into her hand. Kagome was entranced, never having seen magic quite like that before.

Kagome stood amused as the other girl introduced herself after Kagome. "I am Naga the Serpent! The sorceress of adventure and power!" she said with a loud laugh. Naga told Kagome she was the new teacher of a Magical Abilities class.

A teacher?? This... woman... was a TEACHER?! Kagome was quite taken aback, and wondered if she had had to send a picture in along with her resume. She assumed not, because otherwise, she figured, the school board might not have accepted her. With a raised eyebrow, Kagome responded to Naga's question.

"Yes, I am an archer." She frowned. "Although, lately, I haven't been able to hit much of anything, like you, ah, witnessed a moment ago," she said lamely, blushing by her previous display of lack of self-control. "It's frustrating, when in your own country you can't miss your mark, but when you leave you can't HIT your mark." She sighed, and spoke softly to herself; "I wonder if my magic is leaving me. Or, if I've left IT, when I came here. Maybe it's still in Japan..." She looked up at Naga with renewed interest. Didn't the teacher say she specialized in magic?

"Miss Naga. I may have a bit of a problem, and you say you deal in magic. Do you think you could help me figure it out?"

[Naga the Serpent]

Naga nodded to the young girl. She seemed really...fascinated. It was getting a bit odd, but Naga was used to it. She felt a giggle rise from her throat as Kagome reacted in a rather funny way when she mentioned she was a teacher.

With her hands rested to her hips, she listened to the girl's problem. She tilted her head as she spoke of magic and he leaving it. Naga thought it was natural for her to shoot the arrows the way she does. "You use magic to shoot your weapon?" Naga asked curiously and moved closer to Kagome. Before long, Kagome then asked for her help. Naga looked to her with a raised brow. "Well... I am unsure how to truly help you, but perhaps if we figure out the issue, I can. If what you say is true that you use magic to unlock or reopen those magical powers you lost?" Naga mentioned as she tilted her head another way and giving a somewhat comforting smile to Kagome. "And I think with a little practice, you'll be perfect."