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.