Step into my parlor, said the spider to the fly...
Maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but she couldn't shake the feeling she was confronting an unknown beast in it's own lair. If she had been allowed to make a suggestion, she would have tried for something neutral... but, no. Ms. Bawn had forced the issue, and now had them meeting on her territory, giving the other girl the disadvantage.
Still, as her green eyes roamed the room, she could not think of the advantage as too great. Not when it looked like Bawn was still just settling in. For her part, while she had been late to the semester, she had stayed up all night the first night, getting her room exactly as it should be. She needed that familiarity before she dared sleep in the place. Apparently, Bawn was more about territory than anything else.
Fair enough. If she felt she needed to be in control, she could have it... for now.
She did her best to school her features into a look of utter blankness. It was not even boredom. It was just... nothing. Flat eyes, disinterest, non-attachment, as if she could be looking at a field of sparse grass, rather than her new partner's room. She did, though, take the three steps it would take for her to be inside the room and allow the other girl to close the door without shutting her into it. While she was somewhat soothed that her new, not necessarily welcome partner was smiling, the slight curl could as easily be that as a laconic beast sizing up it's next meal.
Instead, with a sigh, she spun to face her new partner, thick brown braid swinging back over her shoulders. Black hair, cocoa skin, and those dark lenses to hide her soul from the world. Tall, too-thin, but shapely... a pretty girl who had a reason to bow others, she assumed, and probably collected guys like bubblegum cards. She gave her own wrist a slight pinch for the unfair thought. All she knew was the girl's rash, unwelcoming behavior in the class, and the rest was her own irritation flaring up.
Maybe the air of the school was poison...
She gave a tepid version of a smile, limp, freckled hand lifting in Bawn's direction. "Rasmi Proxi." She floundered for a moment, knowing she should add some kind of platitude, but nothing came to mind that would not be a horrid lie. 'Nice to meet you?' 'Nice room?' 'Wonderfully cozy in here... I love the touch of cobweb and old gym sock...' No, none of those quite seemed fitting. It did not take long for the moment to pass, so she gave a shrug and looked at those shielded eyes again, appearing candid and focused. "Have you had any thoughts on what to do for our project? I know there are many options, but I am not quite sure where to go from here or what to tackle, not really. Human advancements are, in the end, nothing but the mundane's attempts to capture the magic they do not have, which the Professor already knows... All a bit trite, I guess?"
Now that she phrased it that way, herself, she frowned, staring into the air and guessing she could see Bawn's impatience to be free of the classroom. Still, she shook it off. "He really did not give us very clear or concise directions. We could always try to tear apart that bastion of human arrogance, science, and overspending, NASA, if we wanted to..."
Friday, October 11, 2013
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Two Don't Always Tango
She didn't look back after leaving the lecture hall. It wasn't worth her time to argue or try and make friends on the first day of her last year. She wanted to get it over with, and she wasn't going to do it without a little 'flare' of her own. She shifted her shoulders the pack between the blades irritating, keeping illusions up was irritating and frustrating not to mention tedious.
She hopped onto the bus that went between the dorms, not wanting to walk. She peered out of the window watching the happy faces in the fields. Some students who were done with classes for the day were playing football, others were practicing various arts. She rested her head against the glass with a heavy sigh. It was going to be a long year. It was always the same things, nothing here changed.
She got off at her dorm, ignoring the frat boys who jeered. As she headed to the door she felt something hit her in the back. She paused one hand lowering her sunglasses as she turned one foot catching the football under her heel before it could roll away. Her eyes located the group that had tossed it and she scowled at them. They laughed some giving each other high fives. She toyed with the idea of crushing the ball under her heel, but she thought better of it. These were her dorm mates, she had to play nice with them until they realized who was boss.
Instead of going with her first instinct she bent low, making sure to let them see that she had curves in all the places they'd like in the process. Her fingers grabbed the football, lining up in the lacing as if it was second nature, but they weren't close enough to see this fact. Her free hand nudged her glasses back up her nose to shade her eyes, before her hand went to her hip. She held the ball up for them to see before faking a pout.
"Did somebody lose this?" She called to them, pretending she had no idea that it had been on purpose. She waited as one of the guys moved forward before she moved quickly taking aim at his head. The movement may have been lost by some of the less unnatural students, but she heard some murmur as the ball left her fingers to bounce of the middle of the frat brothers forehead. He fell backwards, laid out in the grass in a surprised daze, the ball rolling into the grass about five feet from him.
She put her hands to her face, faking a gasp. "Oops!" She giggled a bit, just for show, then turned heading into the dorms large building. She figured she wouldn't have to worry about that handful of boys bothering her in the future. It only takes a bit of a blow to their ego's to get them to keep their distance. She mused as she walked through the corridor down to her room that it might be a long year if she was wrong.
She slid her card key to get into her room, once inside she dropped her backpack onto the floor and leaned back against the door. She slid down along the wooden panel heaving a slight sigh of relief as she sat on her heels against the locked door. This was her space. She didn't have to prove anything here, didn't have to worry about where she stood. There was no one to scold her for being her. She was safe. After taking a few moments to get herself back together she looked around the cork and concrete room. It was going to take some work to make it her own.
Sifting through the boxes in her room Seshat was annoyed. She hadn't wanted to actually come back to school this semester. In her opinion there was nothing more they could teach her that might better prepare her for what the professors called "the real world." In fact she had found that merely observing and using small nudges, kept her from having to cast anything truly draining at all. But her parents insisted that she needed that paper if she was going to work in the field, so here she was.
She picked up a couple of poster rolls, looking inside before tugging a map out of one. She unrolled it carefully, amber eyes roving over the land of Erin. Someday she figured to go there. It was of course one of the busiest places when it came to the fae. Not to mention the numerous gates into the faerie lands. She grabbed a few thumbtacks off her desk and pinned the poster above it.
Dream it, do it. That's what gram had always said. She knew it wasn't normal to want to come to college to be a fairy godmother. But it was a dream, it was something to do. And it meant being out of the mountains and forests and where the people are. People are such fascinating things with their odd sense of what to believe and ignore.
Hearing a rap at her door she glanced at the clock, wondering who it might be. But hearing the names said she remembered the assignment in class. She sighed slightly her shoulders rolling, wishing she could let some of the illusion down but knowing it could be more trouble than good. She grabbed her sunglasses from her desk perching them on the end of her nose.
She moved curling her fingers around the doorknob as her other hand hit the unlock button. She opened the door slightly, looking at the beige brown haired girl on the other side of the opening. A slight smile curled the edges of her lips. "Miss Proxi?" She nodded slightly before stepping back and opening the door, her free hand motioning for her to come in. "Welcome to my domain."
She hopped onto the bus that went between the dorms, not wanting to walk. She peered out of the window watching the happy faces in the fields. Some students who were done with classes for the day were playing football, others were practicing various arts. She rested her head against the glass with a heavy sigh. It was going to be a long year. It was always the same things, nothing here changed.
She got off at her dorm, ignoring the frat boys who jeered. As she headed to the door she felt something hit her in the back. She paused one hand lowering her sunglasses as she turned one foot catching the football under her heel before it could roll away. Her eyes located the group that had tossed it and she scowled at them. They laughed some giving each other high fives. She toyed with the idea of crushing the ball under her heel, but she thought better of it. These were her dorm mates, she had to play nice with them until they realized who was boss.
Instead of going with her first instinct she bent low, making sure to let them see that she had curves in all the places they'd like in the process. Her fingers grabbed the football, lining up in the lacing as if it was second nature, but they weren't close enough to see this fact. Her free hand nudged her glasses back up her nose to shade her eyes, before her hand went to her hip. She held the ball up for them to see before faking a pout.
"Did somebody lose this?" She called to them, pretending she had no idea that it had been on purpose. She waited as one of the guys moved forward before she moved quickly taking aim at his head. The movement may have been lost by some of the less unnatural students, but she heard some murmur as the ball left her fingers to bounce of the middle of the frat brothers forehead. He fell backwards, laid out in the grass in a surprised daze, the ball rolling into the grass about five feet from him.
She put her hands to her face, faking a gasp. "Oops!" She giggled a bit, just for show, then turned heading into the dorms large building. She figured she wouldn't have to worry about that handful of boys bothering her in the future. It only takes a bit of a blow to their ego's to get them to keep their distance. She mused as she walked through the corridor down to her room that it might be a long year if she was wrong.
She slid her card key to get into her room, once inside she dropped her backpack onto the floor and leaned back against the door. She slid down along the wooden panel heaving a slight sigh of relief as she sat on her heels against the locked door. This was her space. She didn't have to prove anything here, didn't have to worry about where she stood. There was no one to scold her for being her. She was safe. After taking a few moments to get herself back together she looked around the cork and concrete room. It was going to take some work to make it her own.
Sifting through the boxes in her room Seshat was annoyed. She hadn't wanted to actually come back to school this semester. In her opinion there was nothing more they could teach her that might better prepare her for what the professors called "the real world." In fact she had found that merely observing and using small nudges, kept her from having to cast anything truly draining at all. But her parents insisted that she needed that paper if she was going to work in the field, so here she was.
She picked up a couple of poster rolls, looking inside before tugging a map out of one. She unrolled it carefully, amber eyes roving over the land of Erin. Someday she figured to go there. It was of course one of the busiest places when it came to the fae. Not to mention the numerous gates into the faerie lands. She grabbed a few thumbtacks off her desk and pinned the poster above it.
Dream it, do it. That's what gram had always said. She knew it wasn't normal to want to come to college to be a fairy godmother. But it was a dream, it was something to do. And it meant being out of the mountains and forests and where the people are. People are such fascinating things with their odd sense of what to believe and ignore.
Hearing a rap at her door she glanced at the clock, wondering who it might be. But hearing the names said she remembered the assignment in class. She sighed slightly her shoulders rolling, wishing she could let some of the illusion down but knowing it could be more trouble than good. She grabbed her sunglasses from her desk perching them on the end of her nose.
She moved curling her fingers around the doorknob as her other hand hit the unlock button. She opened the door slightly, looking at the beige brown haired girl on the other side of the opening. A slight smile curled the edges of her lips. "Miss Proxi?" She nodded slightly before stepping back and opening the door, her free hand motioning for her to come in. "Welcome to my domain."
Monday, October 7, 2013
Bawned Off
She sat so still in the room, she may as well have been part of the plaster. In fact, she almost appeared to be, the long-sleeved, loose sweater, which should be stifling in the room, and the sand-colored pants almost matching the beige plaster of the walls, her mahogany hair almost a perfect match for the wood trim of the breezeless windows, only the faintest hint of pointed ears peeking out from the carefully placed strands. Few, if any, seemed to notice her. Then again, the same could be said of the professor, as their attention was openly devoted to the soft ticking of the clock.
She knew, and she watched the slow-moving hands, as well. Just more surreptitiously, keeping her head half-bowed to an open page of half-jotted notes, a pen idling in her fingers, keeping her head cocked just enough to watch the clock with the rest of them. The shrieking of the chalk drew her back, fingers tightening on her pen as it started to fall, face still lowered, but now clearly watching the grey man at the front of the classroom.
Silverwing. It fit him, grey all over, his wings merely filaments of silvered isinglass, but he knew what he was doing, even as he belittled them all, then started to tangle quietly with one particular student, one of the type that thought she knew everything already.
Only the tiniest moue of distaste pulled at the corner of the beige girl’s mouth, there and gone so fast, no one would really note it. Not that they were looking at her. They were far too busy watching the girl, their soft laughter at the expense of their teacher probably only egging her on. There was a fine line between proud and cocky, and another between droll and smartass. She could not decide, yet, as to which side of the fences this miss sat on. Pondering it even distracted her from the bumps on her arms as the ancient box wheezed to life and started trying to do what was asked of him.
So it was with considerable horror she heard her name. Paired with Ms. Bawn. The same Ms. Bawn who almost dared her to follow to the girl’s room.
Of course, no equal footing for that one. No give, no curiosity. Just an edict that was almost a daring taunt. Not even the professor seemed to notice her partner, or look around to see who it was, too busy to watch her saunter from the hall.
Cocky. Definitely cocky.
The other students, though eager to be gone, were a bit more circumspect about their wishes. Each name was called off, usually making a gesture, answered by another when Silverwing gave the next name. At the end, they gathered their stuff to file out, including the professor, leaving her frowning at the board.
Ms. Proxi, indeed. Next time, she’d just go with Invisible Girl.
Very slowly, she got to her feet, gathering her notebook and pen, then started silently from the room. A part of her wanted to go do something, anything, to shake off the subtle irritation of the class… but she started for Brunhilde’s, instead. The sooner, the better, and it wasn’t as if Bawn could find her. She wondered if the girl would even remember her partner’s name.
No matter. Even if the stranger shirked her work, she would kill both of them before she would fail this class.
The numbers to 113 were not long. First floor, down the right hand corridor. She sighed, pen and notebook having vanished during her walk, raised a lightly-freckled fist, and rapped smartly on the door, carefully schooling her features to blankness. Whether or not her partner was close, she kept her voice smooth and modulated. “Ms. Bawn? This is Ms. Proxi…”
She knew, and she watched the slow-moving hands, as well. Just more surreptitiously, keeping her head half-bowed to an open page of half-jotted notes, a pen idling in her fingers, keeping her head cocked just enough to watch the clock with the rest of them. The shrieking of the chalk drew her back, fingers tightening on her pen as it started to fall, face still lowered, but now clearly watching the grey man at the front of the classroom.
Silverwing. It fit him, grey all over, his wings merely filaments of silvered isinglass, but he knew what he was doing, even as he belittled them all, then started to tangle quietly with one particular student, one of the type that thought she knew everything already.
Only the tiniest moue of distaste pulled at the corner of the beige girl’s mouth, there and gone so fast, no one would really note it. Not that they were looking at her. They were far too busy watching the girl, their soft laughter at the expense of their teacher probably only egging her on. There was a fine line between proud and cocky, and another between droll and smartass. She could not decide, yet, as to which side of the fences this miss sat on. Pondering it even distracted her from the bumps on her arms as the ancient box wheezed to life and started trying to do what was asked of him.
So it was with considerable horror she heard her name. Paired with Ms. Bawn. The same Ms. Bawn who almost dared her to follow to the girl’s room.
Of course, no equal footing for that one. No give, no curiosity. Just an edict that was almost a daring taunt. Not even the professor seemed to notice her partner, or look around to see who it was, too busy to watch her saunter from the hall.
Cocky. Definitely cocky.
The other students, though eager to be gone, were a bit more circumspect about their wishes. Each name was called off, usually making a gesture, answered by another when Silverwing gave the next name. At the end, they gathered their stuff to file out, including the professor, leaving her frowning at the board.
Ms. Proxi, indeed. Next time, she’d just go with Invisible Girl.
Very slowly, she got to her feet, gathering her notebook and pen, then started silently from the room. A part of her wanted to go do something, anything, to shake off the subtle irritation of the class… but she started for Brunhilde’s, instead. The sooner, the better, and it wasn’t as if Bawn could find her. She wondered if the girl would even remember her partner’s name.
No matter. Even if the stranger shirked her work, she would kill both of them before she would fail this class.
The numbers to 113 were not long. First floor, down the right hand corridor. She sighed, pen and notebook having vanished during her walk, raised a lightly-freckled fist, and rapped smartly on the door, carefully schooling her features to blankness. Whether or not her partner was close, she kept her voice smooth and modulated. “Ms. Bawn? This is Ms. Proxi…”
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Assigned
The days were hot and muggy. There were no breezes coming in across the flat lands, the cloud cover doing nothing to help the mater. The humid air only managed to make people irritable and sticky. Not necessarily the best combination. But irritability is never an excuse when it comes to learning the trade. After all, we never know what kind of child we'll be watching over.
Yet it sure was a reason for the twelve people in the room to stare daggers at the clock. The subject of the course was simple enough, Every Day Magic. It covered the use of technology and simple parlor tricks to reduce the use of actual magic in our tasks. Not only that it by studying how to use the complex art of science, with illusion, we can save up our magical powers for when we need them most.
Professor Silverwing pulled his chalk firmly against the chalkboard, managing to elicit a shriek from the two meeting. Most of the gathered students cringed. But only the smart actually looked away from the clock that was slowly ticking away the moments before they would all be released back into the world.
"Today you will be assigned your partners. We expect you all to have an understanding and the capability to work with anyone. You are the BEST this school has to offer." He paused, his wings shifting behind him as he adjusted his glasses. "Not that it says a lot about the kind of beings they enroll here these days."
A small round of amused laughter ran through the class. While some students looked around eyeing up the competition the professor continued.
"As I'm sure many of you have noticed, fairy godmothers come in many shapes and sizes. There is no one right being, as there are many kinds of folks needing our special guidance. This course is to help you learn the difference between true every day magic, and what many consider to be flare."
In the back of the room a small sound came from a student, she snorted, a small burst of smoke escaping as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her dark glasses hid her eyes from view, but the professor paused glaring at her icily. His hands went to his hips as he puffed up, his wings flipping up behind him as he tried to make himself look more intimidating.
"Did you have something to say Miss Bawn?" His voice was sharp and annoyed.
"I take offense to the idea of calling something to do with magic 'flare' Professor." She shifted in her seat one hand sliding the dark glasses down so her amber eyes could meet the steel grey eyes of the teacher. "I assume you don't need to have me say why."
The professor let out an exasperated sound before waving his hands in the air. "Ah yes, your smokey outburst implies you know better than I. Well, we shall see. For as I was saying, you're going to be assigned into pairs for the duration of this course. You won't have the choice of picking who you're working with." He went back to the front of the room, his thin wings folding back down along his back, his brown tweed jacket visible through the sheer appendages. He rested one grey skinned hand on top of a rather ancient looking computer monitor. "This fine example of human technology is going to assign the pairs for us." He sounded slightly self satisfied.
"A decrepit example you mean... I've seen better examples on the side of the road." The outspoken student in the back interrupted again, a slight round of applause and laughter coming from the students around her.
"Miss Bawn, if you continue to interrupt you're going to find yourself out of the course and ineligible for graduation." The professor tapped his long thin fingers on his desk waiting for the class to resettle.
"Oh my! What will I do if I can't graduate! I'll just have to pick up the family business." Her tone was bored as her fingertips pushed the black lenses up to hide her eyes as her lips curled into a scowl. "Assign our partners and let us out already, it's not like the first class of the semester is supposed to accomplish anything anyway."
"Your attitude leaves much to be desired." He sighed while looking around the room at the multitude of faces, most of which were still watching the hands on the clock face. "But I must admit it seems many of your classmates feel the same. And while I disagree with your rather sad choice to blow off a chance to learn, I can understand the hurry of the lot of you to have some fun. So let's see what the machine has in store for you all."
He flipped some switches and the computer slowly chugged to life. The fans inside the tower thrummed and whirred sadly, barely functioning. Silverwings tight lipped grimace implied that he didn't want to hear anything from the class. But the soft murmur of amused laughter and the chatter that was starting to pick up as students began collecting their gear annoyed him also. The computer gave off a small chime, and he looked at the list of paired names before him.
"Since you all seem to be in a hurry, why don't we start with finding out who Miss Bawn's partner is then the two of them can leave and we can see about the rest of you."
A slight sound of unhappy protest went up around the room, as various folk had hoped to find their fates out first. But they weren't going to argue. They were just hoping to be released from the room as soon as possible. Homecoming was coming up in only a week and a half and many of them had things to plan.
"Miss Bawn, you will be working with Miss Proxi. I hope the two of you have a good time working together. Now kindly leave." The professors tone was as level as he could make it. But he was irritated by the behavior of the students. He hoped it wouldn't be a display of the kind of behavior he could expect during the semester.
The girl stood slowly as though stretching, and saluted the Professor, two fingers pressed over one eye. "Gladly." She picked up her backpack, slinging it over one shoulder as she turned her back on the room. "Miss Proxi, whoever you are, feel free to drop by my room: Brunhilde's Dorm, room 113." Her voice was amused but clearly she wasn't planning to stay inside the stuffy lecture hall any longer, and she slipped out the door without waiting for confirmation as to whether she'd been heard or not.
Yet it sure was a reason for the twelve people in the room to stare daggers at the clock. The subject of the course was simple enough, Every Day Magic. It covered the use of technology and simple parlor tricks to reduce the use of actual magic in our tasks. Not only that it by studying how to use the complex art of science, with illusion, we can save up our magical powers for when we need them most.
Professor Silverwing pulled his chalk firmly against the chalkboard, managing to elicit a shriek from the two meeting. Most of the gathered students cringed. But only the smart actually looked away from the clock that was slowly ticking away the moments before they would all be released back into the world.
"Today you will be assigned your partners. We expect you all to have an understanding and the capability to work with anyone. You are the BEST this school has to offer." He paused, his wings shifting behind him as he adjusted his glasses. "Not that it says a lot about the kind of beings they enroll here these days."
A small round of amused laughter ran through the class. While some students looked around eyeing up the competition the professor continued.
"As I'm sure many of you have noticed, fairy godmothers come in many shapes and sizes. There is no one right being, as there are many kinds of folks needing our special guidance. This course is to help you learn the difference between true every day magic, and what many consider to be flare."
In the back of the room a small sound came from a student, she snorted, a small burst of smoke escaping as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her dark glasses hid her eyes from view, but the professor paused glaring at her icily. His hands went to his hips as he puffed up, his wings flipping up behind him as he tried to make himself look more intimidating.
"Did you have something to say Miss Bawn?" His voice was sharp and annoyed.
"I take offense to the idea of calling something to do with magic 'flare' Professor." She shifted in her seat one hand sliding the dark glasses down so her amber eyes could meet the steel grey eyes of the teacher. "I assume you don't need to have me say why."
The professor let out an exasperated sound before waving his hands in the air. "Ah yes, your smokey outburst implies you know better than I. Well, we shall see. For as I was saying, you're going to be assigned into pairs for the duration of this course. You won't have the choice of picking who you're working with." He went back to the front of the room, his thin wings folding back down along his back, his brown tweed jacket visible through the sheer appendages. He rested one grey skinned hand on top of a rather ancient looking computer monitor. "This fine example of human technology is going to assign the pairs for us." He sounded slightly self satisfied.
"A decrepit example you mean... I've seen better examples on the side of the road." The outspoken student in the back interrupted again, a slight round of applause and laughter coming from the students around her.
"Miss Bawn, if you continue to interrupt you're going to find yourself out of the course and ineligible for graduation." The professor tapped his long thin fingers on his desk waiting for the class to resettle.
"Oh my! What will I do if I can't graduate! I'll just have to pick up the family business." Her tone was bored as her fingertips pushed the black lenses up to hide her eyes as her lips curled into a scowl. "Assign our partners and let us out already, it's not like the first class of the semester is supposed to accomplish anything anyway."
"Your attitude leaves much to be desired." He sighed while looking around the room at the multitude of faces, most of which were still watching the hands on the clock face. "But I must admit it seems many of your classmates feel the same. And while I disagree with your rather sad choice to blow off a chance to learn, I can understand the hurry of the lot of you to have some fun. So let's see what the machine has in store for you all."
He flipped some switches and the computer slowly chugged to life. The fans inside the tower thrummed and whirred sadly, barely functioning. Silverwings tight lipped grimace implied that he didn't want to hear anything from the class. But the soft murmur of amused laughter and the chatter that was starting to pick up as students began collecting their gear annoyed him also. The computer gave off a small chime, and he looked at the list of paired names before him.
"Since you all seem to be in a hurry, why don't we start with finding out who Miss Bawn's partner is then the two of them can leave and we can see about the rest of you."
A slight sound of unhappy protest went up around the room, as various folk had hoped to find their fates out first. But they weren't going to argue. They were just hoping to be released from the room as soon as possible. Homecoming was coming up in only a week and a half and many of them had things to plan.
"Miss Bawn, you will be working with Miss Proxi. I hope the two of you have a good time working together. Now kindly leave." The professors tone was as level as he could make it. But he was irritated by the behavior of the students. He hoped it wouldn't be a display of the kind of behavior he could expect during the semester.
The girl stood slowly as though stretching, and saluted the Professor, two fingers pressed over one eye. "Gladly." She picked up her backpack, slinging it over one shoulder as she turned her back on the room. "Miss Proxi, whoever you are, feel free to drop by my room: Brunhilde's Dorm, room 113." Her voice was amused but clearly she wasn't planning to stay inside the stuffy lecture hall any longer, and she slipped out the door without waiting for confirmation as to whether she'd been heard or not.
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