open Salem University

[Denim&Venöm 16,495]

@Mentis Soliloquy @Passion @reader8363 @Buck Testa 

On 3/8/2019 at 11:03 PM, Buck Testa said:

"According to scholarly articles on the subject, including some from this very institution, the ratio appears to be something in the ballpark of one per every million people." 

 

On 3/8/2019 at 11:03 PM, Buck Testa said:

"Are you trying to say this class is here so people with powers are more adjusted to normal life? Cause my soul crushing retail job that I have in a few hours from now says that I'll probably ace that test." 

"Sounds about right. And adjusted isn't the word I'd use. More like survive. 1 in a million. As in 1% of 1% of 1%. If it's unreasonable for say, ten people to change their ways to accommodate one, why would it make any sense for 1000 to change, let alone 1 million? Contrary to popular belief and what the comics will tell you, the world doesn't fear people with special powers. It isn't fear. It's apathy. Civilization has gone the better part of 5000 years without magic in it's purview. And as a whole, it intends to keep it that way.

Scientific discoveries, even the magical kind, will largely be ignored if they don't effect people in their day to day lives. You're more likely to be killed by a vending machine than meet a person with magical powers. So people will continue on with their lives unimpeded. They will do that the most straight forward way they know. And that will be without us. You're one of the lucky few Jimmy, being able to find a job at your age. Most places aren't willing to hire us enchanted, even for mundane work. Mostly because the risks, even minute ones, outweigh the gains. Any company that employs an enchanted has it's insurance rates jacked up due to the potential damages and liabilities an enchanted poses. Damages to work spaces, loss of product and property, injuries to co-workers and customers. And that's not to mention all the negative press. It only takes one person misusing their powers. That and there's also the notion that one enchanted can do the work of ten regular people. Well ten regular people are now out of a job because of you. Ten people, being inconvenienced for one. 

And all of that is even with your graduation and certification from this school. Fail to present that and companies won't even give you a second look. It's even illegal in some countries to employ an uncertified enchanted. No amount of prestige or connections is worth the cost or hassle of dealing with a magic user with no formal training. But getting that certification is no guarantee either. Even graduating valedictorian, heck even being former staff won't be a guarantee to finding another job. Odds are that one in five enchanted will lack employment following graduation. So yes, a few of you here will probably face hard times. Knowing how to read runes, use potions, activate scrolls and relics. None of that has much application outside these walls. Just about every other class you're gonna take? Completely useless. 

Unless you combine it with what you learn from mine. You see, it isn't just adapting. It's standing out. It's about proving your worth. It's about showing what you have to offer to the world at large. It's about showing so much potential and presenting so much skill, that an employer won't care about your powers. That an employer will say that you're worth more than what ten people can offer. That the biggest companies will fight to have you. That you can not only survive the outside world, but thrive in it. Cause at the end of the day, if you don't feel like an achiever without your magic, then you won't feel like one with it. 

And that starts with this quiz, which isn't so much about puns as it is perception. For you see, every problem has an answer, sometimes more then one. You just have to look at it a little differently, and the problems on this quiz don't have such obvious answers if you treat them as standard test fare. Flip 'em over and let's see how well you did. 

Acceptable answers are: 

1. Hot. Cause you can easily catch a cold. 
2. Ton
3.  Are you asleep or dead? 
4. Gears, combs or saws
5. a hot dog
6. bottle or pen

9. Blackboard

10. Times table, periodic or vegetable 

11. eggs or glow sticks

12. Mushroom

14. Envelope

15. elephant

16. Tea pot

19. Clock. 

20. All of them

21. an anchor

22. sixty

23. baby tigers

24. water

25. I C U

26.  M

27. Your name

28. It has two banks

29. A map

30. Sky diver or the plane was on the ground

32. a football match, a basket ball match, a wrestling match, etc.

33. a hole

34. L.

35. A promise.

36. When she's your mother.

37. All of them are girls. 

38. only one

39. when the water is frozen

40. the rope wasn't tied to anything

41. Your right hand. 

 

Makes a little more sense now doesn't it. Perception and context matter. Now you can go put these on the shelf next to the door on the way out, because for todays lesson, we'll actually need to head to the room next door. Everybody up and out!"

With that Miko arched into the hall way, carrying a box with her. "Okay before you head in, everybody has to put on one of these bracelets for saftey reasons." as Miko handed out a rune encrusted bracelet to each student. Upon putting it on, they would have a sensation akin to being immersed in water across their body and upon entering, woudl find the room next door devoid of seats or desks, save for one up front, which was inside a large glass box. There were two lines of tape dividing the room. On each side of the room, up against the walls on tables were assortments of products. Condiments, spices, baking ingredients, juices, milks, paints, glitters, glues, shampoos, conditioners, powders, cat litters, and road salts. 

"Alright, so what do those bracelets do?" Miko grabbed a can of paint and opened it. "Well this." and threw it onto the class. But rather than staining them, they'd find the paint rolling right off of them and onto the floor. "We clear on that? Good. Cause for this next assignment, half of you, go to that side and half of you go to the other. And you're job, is to completely empty out all of these containers, right onto the tape off area here." as she pointed to the large swath of classroom carpet between the lines. "Oh, and bonus points if you throw it at the classmates on the other side." Miko waled into the class box, sat in the swivel chair and propped her paws onto the desk. "You've all got three minutes. 

Go."  

[Buck Testa 5,503]

@Denim&Venom

Druantia looked at the bracelet that she temporarily wore on her wrist right next to the power dampening ones. The runework and enchantments on these devices were actually a bit simpler than the ones holding back her magic, and she was able to partially glean some of it's principles thanks to being in Duality's class earlier in the day. As the rules of engagement were being explained, some of the students were actually rather finding the idea of having what was essentially a food fight with the other half of the class rather exciting. Dru on the other hand was assessing her new territory with an experienced eye. One of her main tasks when she lived on her Grandfathers estate was to ward off threats and to defend the boarders of their property with her powers. A lot of the students here didn't have nearly the intuitive grasp over their magic as Druantia, and even with her dampened ability she thought she'd have an edge. There would be issues with people in the room who could control things like liquids or metals, but she had more than enough material to work with on her own. 

She felt out with her magic and found that most of the materials on their side were not compatible with intuitive manipulation, the ones that were synthetic based and didn't have any plant products or byproducts at all. However the few there that did have them were more than enough. Her aura flared up as she grinned at a rather large bag of enriched flour. She had done some NASTY stuff with that white powder to some guards when she was younger. However she didn't need to kill the other half of the room, she just needed to defend her territory from attack. 

Druantia dramatically flared her hand out, causing the bag of flour to explode and erupt into a cloud of white. It flooded in an unnatural way to the boundary line of the enemy team and quickly formed a thin fog like wall. She quickly changed the color of the white flour, creating the small repeating symbols that some of the more astute classmates realized were on the bracelets they were wearing. Some of the classmates tried to toss their condiments and paint and anything like that through her barrier, but much like with their bracelets it merely ran down onto the floor on their side instead of making it onto where it was supposed to be. 

"HEY! KNOCK IT OFF!" Yelled one of the larger students on the other end, causing her to giggle impishly. The students on her side, including the Red Head took the advantage in stride. He in particular was melting his way through the metal containers to empty the contents onto the designated spot in the center of the room. 

It wasn't long before the other side of the class was retaliating against dru. One person seemed to control wind in some capacity and was starting to make a gale strong enough to make it difficult for them to simply throw things at the center. Her barrier held, but the wind didn't seem to be affected by it. She would work to blind them with some of the condiments in the room, but with the bracelets they were wearing she couldn't directly land an effect like that without it rolling off of them. She decided to focus her efforts on the herbs and spices and condiments on her side, increasing their durability and using them to lift and destroy the containers she couldn't directly affect with her magic. Within about 90 seconds, her side of the class was whooping as their task was complete, and the other team was only just starting to make headway against Dru's impromptu flour barrier. She laughed maniacally at her triumph behind her hand, relishing in their utter defeat. 

Edited March 18, 2019 by Buck Testa

[Duality 10,738]

On 3/17/2019 at 11:42 PM, Zkrahs Yek said:

She came to a stand to meet the professor and made her way to the door to walk with her, still a bit confused by everything that was happening but deciding it was better to just roll with it at this point, hoping it'd all become clearer as time went on.

"So... You said you're a hydromancer? And that I'm one too apparently? What exactly does that mean? I'm not really familiar with a lot of the words that humans use... Err... Other people... Sorry, I guess I shouldn't use the word human to separate myself from others should I?" She blushed with embarrassment. She seldom talked to other people, so she felt she was embarrassing herself.

"Oh, no, it's quite understandable," Duality said, leading the way down the hall. "Identifying yourself with groups other than human is commonplace around here, due to the fact that half of us are half-animal and all of us are all-mage. As long as it doesn't become an us-and-them distinction, it's no real concern. Even I often use the word 'mortal' to refer to all other beings in this school besides me." The professor suddenly paused as they passed a window, gesturing at a vast swathe of greenery visible beyond the university buildings. "That's the forest adjacent to the University. This island has a variety of endemic species living throughout the local geography; I'm sure you'll enjoy getting to know them at some point. Just do watch out for the ones with too many eyes. Their aggression levels flux with the current cycle of the moon, but you can't be too careful when you come to things that have vibrating teeth."

Duality returned to her characteristic stride. "Anyway - my apologies - back to your question. What we call hydromancy is merely the control of water, nothing more. Besides the obvious liquid water in rivers and rain, there's also ice, snow, steam, clouds - I'm not sure how much you've learnt about what clouds are made of, but they're actually made out of water vapour -, and there's water in animal and human bodies, too, which is most likely what your healing powers are based on. All of those things are technically within your - our - power to control. Myself, I prefer dealing with ice, since it stays where you put it long enough for you to divert your attention elsewhere, but you are by no means restricted to any such preference. You'll be given the opportunity to master the full range of your magic during your time at Salem - probably as my student, in fact; I'm one of the main teachers of hydromancy here. The library is at the end of that corridor, incidentally. Also, the building over there is the dining hall, if you go down here and take your second left you'll find the main hydromancy classroom, and that door leads to a now-defunct lecture theatre permanently filled to 65.7% capacity with boiled spaghetti. No matter how much the Pastafarians plead with you, don't open it. Come to think of it, any door with buzzing ravioli-glyphs etched into its surface should be considered unstable and not to be opened. Salem is quite a safe place, as long as you heed basic warning signs like that."

[Guest]

@Duality

Again, Cynthia had never met such an odd person. For the longest time she thought she herself would be considered odd by most people’s standards, but this professor would have made her blend in back home if she was walking around. Somehow though, Cynthia liked that about her. At this school, she was starting to feel less like a freak. She got the feeling that no one here was “normal”.

Her fingers twitched as she listened. “Water is more than that to me though...” she began, “it’s part of how I see. I can feel water in the air, I can feel water in the bodies of others, even right now I can tell about how tall you are and how much you weigh just because I can feel the water in you by holding your hand. If I can touch something, I can tell so much more about it... Sadly most humans don’t like being touched.”

She didn’t have much of a clue what sphaghetti was, but she decided to not ask and simply assume to stay out of that room. The trip to America had exhausted her, and she wanted to curl up and nap. “So if I need to learn anything about my powers, I should come to you Ms. Duality?”

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,024]

@Denim&Venom 

The Sabertooth wasn't even in the middle of the food fight, she was next to their teacher in or behind the little protected box not having picked a side as of yet as the food wars had started in the rest of the room.

Kat looked around the room then back to her teacher, who she was odd? No, not really odd at this stage losing a degree of faith in. "Wait... wait, you give us a reactions test, that I sorta get. The tank going the walls of a building! Not so much... now you want us to what? Have a food fight in this room for what purpose? I want to understand the reasoning behind us throwing condiments at one another on the other side of this line." She didn't feel very inclined at all to undertake this request or task perhaps would understanding the reasoning behind the endeavour the goal they were attempting to reach."

Not that she would be overly against having a bit of fun and just throwing stuff around and at some of her fellow classmates just for the simple fun of being silly and acting like a kid, but she needed to be told. Or at least have in explained to her personally as to the reason of what the fox wanted them to do, until then she didn't feel like playing ball, or in this case throwing anything at anyone or anything.

Edited March 25, 2019 by Mentis Soliloquy

[Passion 3,478]

@dragon4111@Skylord Nexus

A demon. A word she utterly despised, yet was forced to use herself. After all, what else could she do about it? It was the price she had to pay on every step in her life. But that was what she became, wasn't it? A demon in bone, and demonic entity in soul. At least that's what others saw, but deep down below her fortress of humanity stood tall and unconquered. She was not mad at the man for such casual use of this word, after all she set the stage for him herself. Nevertheless, he was handling Ley's presence far better than she anticipated him to. It was as if he considered themselves equals. And, to Ley's surprise, she somehow didn't find this idea offensive to the slightest. It seemed that some conscious part of her mind would be willing to approve of this idea, what was odd and intriguing all the same.

As the man, now known to Ley as Lord Lucius, reached for her hand, Ley opened her mouth in sign of protest. She instcinctively began taking a step back, but held herself in spot at last second. She was aware of the old tradition, but she wasn't suspecting anyone still practiced it. It was a little bit of a shock to the daemoness, however for reasons other than the cultural differences themselves. Being what she was, her physical contact with humanity as a whole was heavily limited. Au contraire, majority of humanity avoided even meeting her, let alone exchanging physical greetings. Considering that Ley spent majority of time with her servants at the mansion, she was devoid of any forms of such interaction. Her maids, although at her service at any time, were still very careful not to even touch her. It was a part of some kind of odd superstition speaking of how her transformation was an evil omen and, stating simply, people just feared her. Only her parents had the guts to actually interact with Ley on physical level.

By placing a kiss on Ley's hand, Lucius broke all of her conventions. Nevertheless Ley couldn't allow herself to openly discredit this deed, as it was still a widely known, albeit old-fashioned tradition which was supposed to express respect towards women. Even though she had weakness towards historical and vintage traditions, this was not one she was fairly fond of. Her eyes did flash with disapproval, after all she did not agree to such treatment. On the other hand a part of her mind was impressed by how direct, shameless and courageous the man was. Courageous, or ignorant. This was yet to be seen. As the deed was done, Ley withdrew her hand and stopped it at the level of her face, throwing a slightly uncertain and seemingly shocked stare at Lucius. She then focused her eyes on her palm, before feigning understanding, as if she only just now realized what transpired. A blissful smile crawled up on her face as she sighed silently. After all, depending on perception, this event had to be quite quaint.

"Lord Lucius Calbian Darkflare..." - the thoughts rattled in her head - "I cannot recall hearing that name. Nevertheless, I cannot discard this man as unimportant."

Ley lowered her hand, placing it along her body, and locked her eyes on Lucius' face again.

"Something doesn't add up. He looks rich. He reeks of distinction. He gives off an aura of strenght... what a man of his social status would be doing teaching in a place like this? Didn't he mention a tenure? This doesn't make any sense. Is he just an imposter?"

No matter the truth, Ley had to admit, she was finding the man intriguing and was actually looking forward to learning more about him. After all, he was her spark of hope for an appropriate company in this forsaken University.

" Ley why aren't you in Miko's class? "

Ley's train of thoughts suddenly ran out of tracks and crashed spectacularly. Both her good mood and smile evaporated, it was as if someone just told her she cannot have her favourite strawberry cake because they've already eaten it. The very sound of that voice had awoken anger inside her. Mutliplied by the amount of times she had to deal with this accursed, omnipresent excuse of a human being. She turned around to face his nemesis, and her face showed nothing but disdain. Where sweet, innocent eyes were a moment ago, now burned fiery stare ready to melt rocks. Her smile turned into a strict line of tightly closed lips. Even her palms were now nothing but fists, ready to beat the living hell out of the man in front of her. From a certain angle it was nearly guaranteed to perceive Ley like your stereotypical, angsty and angered teenager. Although quite unbecoming for a lady, she no longer could afford to stand this man.

On 3/16/2019 at 3:02 AM, Skylord Nexus said:

"Hello, I am a new teacher here, and was in the progress of going to speak with the head mistress to announce my arrival. This charming young lady kindly offered to show me the way to her."

Deeply inside, she was somewhat grateful for Lucius' attempt to rescue her from this situation, even if he was doing it without the full context of her relationship with the janitor. Then again, he was also getting ahead of himself by assuming her time was at his disposal. She was perfectly aware of his plan, expecting her to play along. However, as soon as she finished speaking, she raised her hand to silence him. While Lucius was calming his own magical aura down, Ley's was gradually rising in power, reacting to her sudden mood shift. She could have tamed it, but she didn't care. She wanted it to run rampant, raising to dangerously high levels. To a point where, should she release it, it would certainly cause massive damage and cause havoc in the vicinity, most probably removing the nearest walls and structure with ease. While her power was fluctuating, it was quite harmless on itself as she was in perfect control of it.

"Why am I not in class?" - her voice was soaked in sweet and deadly venom - "Why because I'm planning world domination of course, and all these classes serve nothing but a distraction to my plans. HOW DO YOU THINK!?---oh, hang on. I forgot. You don't think at all! How about I say that it's none of your business? I cannot remember hiring you to be my duenna, let alone my private personal assistant. But if I accidentaly did, I must have been off my rocker or simply drunk and you can consider yourself officialy relieved of the position. ...but, perhaps... there is a place for you by my side after all? You see, I do not feel comfortable using Jeeves as a footstool anymore. What say you? I could grace you with the touch of my feet while you would finally perform a job adequate to your qualifications. But do not expect any raise, your petty janitor pay is exactly what you would get from me. But at least you could feel useful at last."

Ley was fully aware she was not going to bury the axe this way, but she was not willing to anyway. This man deserved all the treatment he was getting from her. Of course, she was aware this was not the best side of her that was being shown to Lucius right now, but she already has had enough of this omnipresent cockroach interfering in her life, not knowing his place. She didn't allow anyone to respond however as she quickly changed her mind.

"No, I have changed my mind. Someone like you wouldn't even make for a good doormat." - Ley was letting her rage to surface - "You are too obnoxious even for that. Ever since I arrived here I have seen you stalk and torment me and other students. You shamelessly flirt with teachers in front of the class as well. Do you even do any work here? I very much doubt that. You're like a parasitic entity feeding on the good will of this University's staff! I don't even know why they keep your around. This is ridiculous! If I was them, I would just... Just... I SWEAR I WOULD JUST..."

"...annihilate him...?"

Ley froze, instantly stopping her rant. Her mouth slightly ajar in pure terror, one she didn't feel in years. Her gaze became absent, her silhouette still. A shiver run up her spine as she finally took a few, shaky steps back. Her entire composure shattered, like a mirror struck with a hammer. She looked mortified, and for a reason. The words, which still resonated in her mind, by no means belonged to herself. Far worse, she realized she has been spending more and more energy just to wrestle the control of her magical aura of energy, which was now attempting to go rampant. Ley covered and grabbed her ultima with the other hand, looking deep into its swirling energies. It was painfully obvious that to her that this tool prevented a catastrophe just now, by absorbing the energies overflowing from out her. She retreated into the depths of her mind, completely cutting off the outside world and ignoring the two men accompanying her. The daemoness quickly rushed to inspect her mental barriers, ones she had emerged long ago, ones which held her sanity intact. Only to find them, metaphorically speaking, cracked.

"Hey kiddo." - at the same time she heard the words in her mind, Ley's body recoiled violently as she grabbed her head and let out a highly pitched shriek. Shortly after, her magical aura spiked. In desperate attempt to control it, Ley redirected the flow of her energies. A spell she attempted to cast so many times, yet she always found herself lacking in magical power. Her inexperience always made it leak the energies she was pouring into it, never allowing her to cast it properly. Yet, this time, she felt powerful beyond measure. Even if it was not entirely her own power.

A rift in the warp opened up suddenly, surrounding her entirely. Its swirling dark energies consumed Ley and a moment after she seemingly imploded, disappearing inside the rift as it closed behind her with a silent woosh.

 

As Ley came to, she felt unstable ground under her back. The world was awfully bright and, after a moment, she could hear the sound of waves not far away in the distance. She instantly checked on her internal mental cohesiveness just to discover, to her own unimaginable relief, she managed to wrestle the control over. She didn't know how much time has passed, but as she stared at the sky it seemed that the sun remained in relatively same spot it was just a minute or two ago. It seemed everything that transpired must have happened in a matter of seconds.

Feeling overwhelming pain and exhaustion allover her body, Ley forced herself to lift on her elbows. As she took a quick glance around, it seemed she found herself on the beach, near the treeline with ocean spanning in front of her. However, the remaining details of the landscape were more disturbing. The sand around her turned into glass for some reason and the nearest vicinity of treeline was scorched beyond recogniztion. For some reason there were no fires to be seen. It was as if a powerful fireball struck the area and extinguished itself instantly, but Ley couldn't say for sure what caused all the damage. The area around her, in about 8 meters radius, was simply desolate and devoid of life. The daemoness fell on her back once more, breathing in heavily and staring into clouds above her.

She always told herself she was prepared and strong. That she was diligent and in control. That her barriers were keeping her safe. Yet, in a single fit of casual rage she discarded all of her own, private safety protocols and nearly paid the ultimate price for it. She was living fully aware that one day, Edna might return. She was always prepared. Even in past when she raged, that tiny part of imprisoned soul could not even attempt to wrestle control of Ley's powers.

"Why...?"

She embraced herself tightly.

"What changed...?"

Her voice cracked as she suddenly became aware of how close to distaster she was.

"WHY ME!?"

Her shout dissipated into nothingness under the open skies as a few tears flew down her cheeks. After countless years of peace of mind and belief she was relatively safe, Ley was brutally reminded that her existance was still nothing more but an endless struggle for her own self. Her body, her mind and her soul. She stood up shakily. Her clothes still remained in pristine condition, an effect of a few enchancements still lingering untouched after the unfortunate meeting with janitor. Dirt just didn't seem to attach to them. There was just no use despairing over her situation. She was not willing to give up that easily after all. Not until she sees that blasted, demonic creature dead at her feet. Only then could Ley rest.

The daemoness assessed her relative position and headed towards, what she believed, was the center of the island, where University would hopefully be located.

 

[dragon4111 914]

@Passion

Ghalan just stood there taking the whole ranting fit of the child. He raised an eyebrow then looked at Lucius and said simply and with a warning "Your aura I do not like and I'll be keeping an eye on you but for now that lady is in trouble," Ghalan stated with a calm tone of voice as he walked. He rolled his eyes as he walked away. Yep one hell of aa day. Him stalking students nah just coincidence after all. But she was in big trouble but for now he needed to see if Ira could help him find the bratty little girl. He shook his head slightly as this was just getting on his nerves. And it didn't help them either she was just a spoiled little child in his eyes. who seemed to have gotten her way far too many times. Learn his place? Hardly that little brat needs to learn the real world. And yet her panick attack concerned him immensely He rubbed his neck slightly as he walked away. The joys of keeping watch over this school and the many, many, MANY eccentric people that comes here. "Well might as well see if she's alright," he muttered to himself.

@Skylord Nexus

Edited March 25, 2019 by dragon4111

[reader8363 1,281]

@Buck Testa @Mentis Soliloquy @Denim&Venom @Passion

Rose walked into the room and stood next to the wall, away from the box on the floor and the other. She didn't know what the teacher was up to, but she couldn't stop thinking that there's an ulterior motive for them throwing things.

Shadow stepped into the arena and locked the doors behind him. He stepped into the middle of the circle and dropped the cane to the floor. His shadow spread itself throughout the room and up the walls. He didn't want anyone to see this due to the fact that he was just merely stretching his magic. He was disappointed with himself that he couldn't make them meet above him, they only reached halfway up the wall and they were already too thin to fight with. He sat down and started working on copies of himself.  

[Buck Testa 5,503]

@Skylord Nexus @Duality @Passion 

As the Janitor left, Lucius would feel an eerie shift begin to permeate the air. To most, it would be a calming and relaxing aura of someone nice and familiar. Whomever brought this wonderful feeling must be A Nice Lady, cause only a Nice Lady would permeate the air with the sounds of instruments that sounded almost like they were from an old record player. Lucius and his associates however saw it in a slightly different light. They couldn't very well work with their fellow cohort if they couldn't tell who she was. So for them she gave them the secrets to see passed her deceptive kindness that placated so many. 

"Something  very strange and mystic happened to me~" Her voice echoed in the air, not quite in sight of Lucius. " Something realistic and as weird as can be~" 

The song sounded like it was from the 1930's, but it had a decidedly creepy tinge to it the way she sang it. She laced each line with double meaning as she slowly stepped out from behind the corner, dancing in graceful choreography that seemed so wrong and unnatural in ways one couldn't really describe. It was was like she was pulled along by a very skilled marionette instead of moving of her own volition. Her magic was causing her to dance and she was relishing in it, singing along to the tune from a time long passed that seemed to strangely fit in what had just happened to Lucius. He had been talking to a likely candidate, a "dream" that was walking before him, just waiting for him to recruit to their ends, and she ended up being snatched away by some portal. It was strange. 

  "Did you ever see a dream walkin? Well I did~" As she rounded the corner, only lucius could truly see what The Nice Lady looked like. Her magic normally glamoured herself to the point that she seemed like an unassuming nice lady that couldn't be a threat to anyone.

"Did you ever hear a dream talkin? Well I did~" 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 "Hello Lucius." Her sweet saccharine voice did not match her appearance at all. The haunted look in her lanky form, her sunken eyes, her unnaturally pale skin, and those unnatural red lips curled into that unnerving smile was enough to disturb the toughest of men. The fact that her all white ghastly form was accompanied with unassuming brass music that seemed to just permeate the air around her like some twisted musical did not help matters. She moved unnaturally, sometimes very slow, some times skittering far too quickly for comfort as she got closer, looking him up and down. 

"I've had my eye on that girl too. Ley is her name. You two would get along. You have a lot in common.~" She spoke so sweetly, but her face was broken into such a horrible grin. It had been so long since anyone had really been able to see her that she didn't know how to do it right anymore. Her ability to be seen as a Nice Lady was not something she really knew how to turn off, as her colleagues well knew. All she could do was peel back the curtain for some so they could see her for what she really was, and that normally ended in screaming and death. Normally. Her friends were an exception. 

"There is another here too. The nasty teachers here caged her beautiful song. She sang it so wonderfully too. I can still hear it in my head. Listen. 

She faintly began to play the "song" in the air around them, too quiet for for it to carry. It sounded like deranged laughter, warped and twisted and filled with layers of different voices all making the same straight cackle in unison. She waved her fingers along to it like it had a melody, savoring each note of it. 

"Her name is Druantia~. She's such an angel. They aren't letting her express herself anymore and it makes me upset. She likes them too much though. Especially that one HAG!" Her face went deathly serious at that word, her eyes going wide and her teeth baring, almost frothing at the word. "That WITCH professor Duality is dulling her song. She's the one who put those shackles on MY Precious Angel! I hate her. I hate her so MUCH!" She was growling this through her teeth. The music instrumental sounds around her began to become warped and off key, mimicking her fragile state of mind. It was no secret to Lucius or his fellows that The Nice Lady was far from mentally sound. She could kill on a dime if provoked in the wrong way, though they had their own insurances should she turn on them. 

As quick as her mood darkened, it snapped back to normal, beaming at Lucius, "How do you like the school?" 

Edited March 29, 2019 by Buck Testa

[Duality 10,738]

On 3/23/2019 at 11:42 PM, Kzr haekS said:

Her fingers twitched as she listened. “Water is more than that to me though...” she began, “it’s part of how I see. I can feel water in the air, I can feel water in the bodies of others, even right now I can tell about how tall you are and how much you weigh just because I can feel the water in you by holding your hand. If I can touch something, I can tell so much more about it... Sadly most humans don’t like being touched.”

"Indeed; it's quite unfortunate, that," Duality replied. "Touch is absolutely essential to human wellbeing and it's unnatural how people deny it to themselves nowadays. You'll be taught how to see things better with water here, though. After a year or two, you'll probably even be able to see things without touching them as well as you can by touching them now. Magic-sense is an important ability to hone for many reasons."

On 3/23/2019 at 11:42 PM, Kzr haekS said:

She didn’t have much of a clue what sphaghetti was, but she decided to not ask and simply assume to stay out of that room. The trip to America had exhausted her, and she wanted to curl up and nap. “So if I need to learn anything about my powers, I should come to you Ms. Duality?”

"Oh, absolutely. I'm always open to helping students learn." Duality paused as she noticed Cynthia's drooping head. "My dear, you look shattered. Would you like to give the introductory tour a miss and skip straight to getting to your dorm? I can sort things out with your classes and other administrative matters while you take a good long nap. In fact, I could probably arrange for everything you might need to be on your doorstep in a few hours, coupled with a voice recording from me to explain what each thing is and does."

[Guest]

@Duality

Cynthia blushed, a bit embarrassed that she was wanting to go take a nap when this woman had shown her so much kindness, however, she didn't exactly understand the "proper" social etiquette on how to ask such a thing. It didn't seem to matter though, as the good instructor seemed to have caught on anyway. A small bit of her guilt was washed over by being tired, so that at least helped mitigate the situation in her mind.

"If it's not too much trouble... I've been on buses, planes and trains for the past few hours, and I guess I'm still really tired from it... If you could show me where I can sleep, I'd be happy to continue this all when I get up. I think even snow here is signaling that he wants some rest." She gestured to her shoulder when the fox rested. Oddly enough, the fox scurried off of her should and approached Duality, looking up at her with a curious nose. Cynthia could sense he left her shoulder and when his nose touched the teacher, she sensed the figure of him through the water in his body. She smiled. "He's starting to trust you a little, apparently."

[Skylord Nexus 527]

Lucius stifled an uncharacteristic giggle as Ley went off on one at the janitor "I have to admit, I'm starting to like this kid, surprisingly." He did however step back when the portal swallowed her, and though any normal person ma be worried, this only served to peak the mans interest even more as he began running theories through his head to explain what had just happened "Hmm, judging by the look on her face, what ever happened wasn't done by her deliberately. A possible cause may be possession, that would explain her demonic features, though she does seem to be in full control of herself which is unlike any form of possession I've heard of. Maybe she has dual personalities fighting for control, though that doesn't really explain that quick spike in her aura. Perhaps she simply lost control of her magic, again seems unlikely. Guess I'll just have to wait and see if she survives."

Lucius just stared at the janitor with unimpressed and cold eyes "Oh be still my beating heart for the janitor doesn't like me because I have a scary aura. What ever shall I do?" Though as the man walked away, Lucius did figure he might be troublesome in the future, so he began to formulate a plan to deal with the janitor, until he heard the music.

The man let out a heavy sigh as he heard the music and singing, pinching the bridge of him nose, letting out a quiet "Oh god." Before turning to see the woman approaching him. While she was by far one of the creepiest members of their little group, Lucius had to admit she was also probably one of the most useful in spite of her appearance, which never failed to send a shiver down his spine. Lucius politely bowed to the ghostly figure in front of him, his stoic expression from the janitor remaining "And to you as well Lady. I trust you've been doing well?" He did however let a small smile creep onto his face as he thought about his new favourite enigma "Perhaps. It would be good to get her on side, plus she has a lot of potential as well as her family's resources."

Lucius did recoil slightly at the 'song' the Nice Lady showed him, no matter how many times he heard her do stuff like this, it never got any less creepy. He grimaced, and fained agreement "Yes... lovely, I see why you like her." He knew the importance of staying on her good side, as she was one of the few individuals he had met that genuinely scared him, a point she proceeded to prove. He recoiled back further, worried she might lash out at him in her rage, it wouldn't be the first time it had happened to someone, poor Joe, he was a good man. "Ah yes, that's' the one with plant powers, very useful." Thankfully the Nice Lady calmed down in one of her classic mood swings, asking Lucius an unexpected question causing the man to shrug "It's bland, and poor, and full of idiots, just like the rest of the world."

[Buck Testa 5,503]

13 minutes ago, Skylord Nexus said:

The man let out a heavy sigh as he heard the music and singing, pinching the bridge of him nose, letting out a quiet "Oh god." Before turning to see the woman approaching him. While she was by far one of the creepiest members of their little group, Lucius had to admit she was also probably one of the most useful in spite of her appearance, which never failed to send a shiver down his spine. Lucius politely bowed to the ghostly figure in front of him, his stoic expression from the janitor remaining "And to you as well Lady. I trust you've been doing well?" He did however let a small smile creep onto his face as he thought about his new favourite enigma "Perhaps. It would be good to get her on side, plus she has a lot of potential as well as her family's resources."

Lucius did recoil slightly at the 'song' the Nice Lady showed him, no matter how many times he heard her do stuff like this, it never got any less creepy. He grimaced, and fained agreement "Yes... lovely, I see why you like her." He knew the importance of staying on her good side, as she was one of the few individuals he had met that genuinely scared him, a point she proceeded to prove. He recoiled back further, worried she might lash out at him in her rage, it wouldn't be the first time it had happened to someone, poor Joe, he was a good man. "Ah yes, that's' the one with plant powers, very useful." Thankfully the Nice Lady calmed down in one of her classic mood swings, asking Lucius an unexpected question causing the man to shrug "It's bland, and poor, and full of idiots, just like the rest of the world."

 

"You want the world to sing like I do." She crooned as she tilted her head unnaturally to the side, her grin stretching across her face to the point that it was a wonder there wasn't any tearing. It had been a topic of some debate whether she was even human anymore, or something else. She didn't seem to control her magic so much as her magic seemed to control her. It made her dance and sing like she were in a one woman musical. Her eyes were cast in deep shadow as she looked in his direction, making it impossible to tell whether she was actually staring at him or something else. To any onlooker she would just seem like a sweet, nice, and friendly lady who just so happen to be hanging around Lucius. Her aura made her invisible in a way that was even more deceptive than true invisibility would be. It made a person's mind think she was something less noticeable. Innocuous even. Someone that couldn't possibly be a threat. She had even been known to stab people to death while their dying thoughts were how nice that woman was, and how she couldn't hurt a fly. Very few people could ever tell that something was off about her, and before they could investigate she'd be gone as mysteriously as she arrived. 

"That's why I like you. You know this musical needs to be brought into its third and final act just like I do. And when it does, oh it will have SUCH a beautiful song to close this all out with. Everyone will be singing and dancing in unison as those credits finally roll, exactly how it was meant to be." 

 Each word was spoken with such loving care and reverence, but the implications of what they meant were clear. Though she was a great scout and could gather intel better than anyone else on the team, her goals were going to come to a head with theirs eventually. She was not interested in world domination in the slightest. She wanted the musical of life to end, like all musicals were meant too. She didn't have the raw power or control over her abilities to do such a thing, but she had been known to influence people before. Talking families into killing each other, brutal and strange suicides, terrorist attacks with disturbing allusions to famous musicals, she had caused all of that and more in her travels across the world. It was part of how anyone was even aware that she existed. Certain conspiracy websites even theorized about someone like her, noting her appearance in the background of photographs or in grainy home video footage. The neutral eye of the camera it seemed wasn't affected by how her magic made others perceive her. 

"I will find a way to kill that hag." She muttered darkly, her voice taking on several other layers as she did so. Some cartoonishly high, others so deep and twisted that it was a question whether it was even saying the same thing as the rest of the voices.  "S̡̡̢̢̨̧̱͙̞̗̠͕̟̜͚̩̹̟̙̯͔̻͙h̢̧̹̝͖͍̟̻̠̣̼̫͚̻̠̭̲̟̺͇̺͜ͅe̡̩̠͚̘̪̼̖̱͎͖̭͕̦̝̱̠̯͕͍͜͜ͅ ̡̡̡̞̤̮̪̘̥̙̮̥̩̳̦͍͈̟̝̟͓͎͓c̡͙̹̲̜̮̫̩͔̭͉̦̦̦̜̘̙̼̼̠͔̼̮a̧͓̯͉͚̜͕̯̘̟̩͍͚͔͓̝̫̪̟͉̩̠ͅn̢͔͖͉̮̩͉̫̮̮̭̯͎̻̲̣̳͈̟͔̞̤ͅn͉̬͓͖̲͈̝̰̠͇̜͈̭͕͈̱̘̲͚͖͜͜͜o̢̻͖̳̤̝̞͖̺̜̠̮̘̰͔̠̞̦̩̙̥͜ͅt͍̪͉͍̩̤̭̠̹̞͎̤͓̠̯̲͓̲͇̺̮̺͇ ̧̧̢̠͎̟̗̗̳͚̳̰̯̼̤̩̹̰͙̲͈͖̪h̨̧̬̩̮͚͈͇̹̳͍̩̘͔̱̤͈̩͕͖̰ͅͅą̧̡̪̺̠̗̳̹͕̦͕͈̩̫̗͇̼̯͔̗̮ͅv̨̨̟̟͕̜̼̖̙͚̗͈̗͖̝̙͖̱̥̗̼̪͜ȩ̨̨̟̻̬̬̞̹̣̗̲̟̦͉̣̹̤̻̗̘͕ͅ ̡̩̱̳̟̼̪͎͔̙̭͔̠̟̟̼̘̜͈̳͚ͅͅḩ̥̩͕͕̠̱͚̰̩̗͉͔̬̟̲̫͇̱̟̼̩͜ȩ̢̫͇͎̙͔͚̹̱̱̮̝͓͚͍͈̠̥̫̼͜ͅr̢̨̧̞̺̤̜͓̞̤͔̱͇̜͇̰̼͕̳͎͜ͅͅ.̢̢̬͎̠̩̗̥͙̻͓͚̩̯͖̙̣̬̼̗̤̠͖ ̢̱̺̤̲͚͎̯̗͔͓̗̭͇̯͉̪̭͉̹̳̬̭S̡̧̮̥͚͓͈͓͓̩̦̹̗̳̳͖͓͕̖͕̣͇ͅh̨̤͍̠̫̗̱̠̲̲͉̗͔͓͇̙͈̯̼̼̲̰̰e̢̧͔͎͙̦̲̲̦͓̫̜͖̮͔̹̳̬͇͈̦͕̼ ̧̟̦̝̜͍̞̭͈̹͈̟̦̦̦̺̜̘̙͉͖̞̯į͓̺͈͉̥͓̮̲̱̮̘̲̬̳͕̯͕̗̭̗͜ͅs̢͇̥͉̳̖̙͈͚̦̤̰̼͉͕͎̼̰̗̺̪̳̤ ̧̳̠͕̤̹̤̼̭͙͉̱̭̻̝͉͔̠̺̘͍̖͜m̢̬̹͇̤̝͖̜͕͇̤̹̻̥̰͔͜ͅͅͅį̧͍̙͚̗̠̝͈͕͖̭͖̳̞̳̝͔̠̲̦̥̭n̼̥̮̤̭̗͚̣̹͕̙͎̮͈̱̩̯̫̲̮̠̟͜e̢̢̨͓̳̥̳͈͍̺̖̬͓͎̠̭̼̼͈͔̣̦̘.̡̨̳̮͇̜̲͈͔̜̹̫̜͙̥͖̻͈̻̦̩̰ͅ ̨̡̢̨̤͈̘̭̜̳̳̘̙͎̤̝̣̘̥͓̯̜͖I̢̲͔̼͍̖̺̬̟͙͚̜̝̺̻̬͔̦̮̬̺͜͜ ̢̡͓̰͚̤̯͍̗̮̤̭̼̦̲͍̼̻̰̝͚͜ͅs̡̲̦̮͙̫̱͎̼͇͉̤̲̪̳͍̺̠̬̮̤͔̘ą̝͔̦̪̻̹̜̦̖͕̱͖̱̮̣͈̗̘̥̠̮͜w̧̡̖̜̼̲͔̤̠͉̦͓̭̖͖̩̥̠̝͍͖͜͜ ̢̹͔̹͖̮̣̥̖̘͎̝̪͇̦̺̜̹͕̦̖̼͇h̡̯̖̳͍͉̖̪͈̠̫͇̘̼͇̜̰̜̱̥̗̩̻e̡̢̩̫̙̙͕̫̹̟̲̗͚̜̩̠͎̥̙̬̼̟͜r̨̡̡̢̘͔̱̤̜̩̫̪͍̺̘͉̜̝̘̘̣͕͜ ̡̦̹̫͓͖̬̦̺̣̠͔̰̱̭̝̼̫̫̤͉ͅͅf̧̢̧̞̘̹͍̜̱̤̗̣̰̖͇̯̦͕͚͎ͅͅͅi̢̢̨̺̘̬̳͓̭̖̗̗̲͈̭̻̣̩̗̣ͅͅͅr̨̡̪͚͓̪̙̹̖̟͎̟̼͓͈͓̝̖͖͎̬̭͇ş͚̦̰͍͓̯͍̱̰̻͈̙̭͇̼̠͎̙̥̜̟̘ṯ̢̲͖̺̦̱̪̻͔̺̠̼̟̺̼̥̙̠̩̩͜ͅ.̡̨̞̙̼͓͓̤͈͉͇̞̤̠̲͔̰̤͓̖͔̪͜ ̡̟̞̲̲̹̥̫̗̠͚̮̭̝̙̲͓̠͎̦̱̞̘I̢̮̹̪̼̮͕̦̜̥̗͖͔͕͈͖̞̣͈̻̘̫ͅ ̡̨̨̣̙͖̣͖̺͉͉̭͓̝̜̬̮̱̰͚͔̭ͅs̢̡̰͉͓̝̪̣͈̫̣͈̪̦̤͇̜̪̦̺͍̗ͅa̧̧̺̣͍̭͎̣͍̩͔̝̩͇̟͕̳̹̤̳̬͔͓w̢͔̣̗̱̙̲̫̬̹̠̗͉̺͉̼̭̳̖̭̼̮ͅ ̡̢̨̰͉͇̙̥̞̺̺̗̣͖͔̖̯͍̥̹͖̟͜h̢̧̰̝̩̯̠̣̲̞̹̥̜̭̥͎̮͚͕̖ͅͅͅȩ̡͍͙̤̲̻̮̞͉͙͕͔͖͓̺̙͕̫̲̰̼͜r̨͇̦̬͎̹̘͚̱̜͔̫̝̤̣̬̩̤̭̟̥̩ͅ ̨̙̘̗̭̦̝̦͈̤̯͙̰̹̖̣̟͉̰̪̖͔͇b̧̨̨̻̰̹̠̳̦̞̝̩̬̗̻̻̬̣̖͎̳̤̖ȩ͖̫̖̜̻̫̝̖̖͇̠̱̯̼̺͕̺͇̹̙̗ͅf̢̗̫̱̼͔͙̺̺̦̦͎̱͍͖̘͔̭͍̟̜̹͙o̡̡̧̖̙̺̘̘̖̟̝̺̯̘̰̞̝̤̯̟̙͜ͅŗ̺̳̩̗̺̻͍̝̩̰̖̖͔̹̘̖̯̖̪̝͜ͅe̖̥̤̟̼̱͚͖̣͎̱̝̙͎̠̬̝̬͍͈̜̜͜ ͍̺͚̭̳̳̯̳̪̦͔̺̖̤͇̺̮͍̜̟̖̮̲a̡̡̗̥͎̝̼̗̥̮͇̯͙̤̯̟̱͉̲͙̫͇ͅn̡̡̧̗̰̠̺͕̺̗̲͇̯̦̠̤̫̭̜̜̼ͅͅy̧̤͈̖͖̙͉̪̰̯̹͎̣͈̰͈̟̱̖͉͕ͅͅo̡̧̨̟̪̠̹͇͎̼̩̖͈͓̦̦̜̪͕͎͔̯͜n̦͍̤͎̠̭̪͔͈͉̰̥̜̰̙̠̬̩͚͉̻̹̲e̢̨̢̧̟̞̼̯͖̹̣͔̝̭̤̜͈̬̝̱̭ͅͅ ̨̨̥̠̝̞͓͎̣͇̰̞͈̞̳͎̰̳̫̠͉̭͜ȩ̫̭̻͓̥̠̗͔̖͔͎̘̘̖͚̫̘̜̤̲͖ͅl̡̡̡͈͎̹̳̩̥̞̲̪̳͎̺̯̙̠̞̻͚͈͜ș̨̞̟̞͚͈͈͔̫͇̫̝͚̤̻̬͖͕͕̻̺͜ȩ̨̡̨̻̖͚̟̤͕̬̘͔̟͕̼̩̰̮̖͇̣ͅ ̯̬͉͍͓̯̠̭̤̼̟̮̪̳͇̟̞͚̰̟̱̼͕ḏ̢̡̢̨̢̞͍̫͔̫͈̤̠̙̹̠̙̲̖͎͜͜i̡̹̝͈̠̙̫̻͉͍͈͉̠̩̦̣̜͈̲̰̮ͅͅḑ̜͕̜̲͕͍̫͓͈̠̱̞͖̬͍͖̼̳̜̱̭̮.̢̨̧̰̫̩͓͓̤̻͕͖̬͙̭̬̩̤̹̝̱ͅͅ ̡̫̻̖͔͖̼̤͉͇̺͇͔͚͔̫̤̠̘̲̠̫̗S̨̧̝̲̜̪̪̬͈̖̱̻̰̜̼͚̹̻͓̯͚͕͜ḩ̨̡̧̪̮̬̲̦̙̯̥̗͖͖̩͍͓͇̥̖͕̘ę̧͕̭͎͓̮̙̖͔̜̗̳̼̱͖̙̹͖̺̹͔͜ ̢̢̧̧͇̭͕͔̙̘̝̞̥̲̹̜̯̘̺̳̯̬͈i̡̢̻̻̬̥̯̻̩͚̘̰͖̥͚̤͉̮̘̯̗̟̳ş̡̨̳̻̰͎̹̲̻̙̞̪̪̰͎͖͈̮̤̦͉ͅ ̢̝͉͎͎͕̱̺̣͔͇̱̰̭̗̟̜̘͕͜͜ͅͅm̡̧̡͇̱̘̼̘̥̟͇̥̞͚͖͉̱̩̜̹̻̣͜y̢͚̦̖̪̭̖̙̱̺̫̞̻̲̻̻̰̣̥̺̘̼̙ ̡̨̡̺͖̤̹̱̹͎̠̻̹͓͓̙̟͉̩̝̦̞̗a̡̡̢̨̡̮͚̻̯̲̭̯͙̟̞̜͓̠̻̖̟͜ͅņ̡̧̣̬͇͖̫͔͓̰̹͓̰̗̖̫̖̙̤̹͚̥g̨̢̭͎͓̞̲̪͕͍̯̣͇̘̞̭̤͓̟̺͇͜ͅe̢̟̙̻̙̫̱̲͉̮͔̘͇̘̠͚͓͕̳̹̙͜ͅl̡̡̜̱̭͉̟͙̙̰͉͇̫̼̗̲͚̜͉̟̻͜ͅ." 

 

 

She started to wander off, seemingly forgetting she was talking to her colleague as she did so. The Nice Lady soon stopped however too looked back at him and give him a strangely lucid warning.

"careful not to get caught Lucius. It wouldn't do to lose you so early into this act." 

With that her body seemed to just slide behind the corner. If he were to rush up and see where she went, she would simply be gone. For her, it was easier to vanish than it was to maintain a conversation and have people to see her for what she was. It was an actual strain on her magic to make it so that her colleges could see her for the short time she could talk with them. Normally the only way they'd know she was even there was if the phrase "A nice lady" in some shape or form kept popping into their mind. It was part of how she got the name, as it was a phrase her victims would consistently use in testimonies. A Nice lady, The Nice Lady,  that nice lady. Never a woman, never ma'am. Always a nice lady. 

 

 

 

[Duality 10,738]

On 3/31/2019 at 12:07 AM, Key Sharkz said:

"If it's not too much trouble... I've been on buses, planes and trains for the past few hours, and I guess I'm still really tired from it... If you could show me where I can sleep, I'd be happy to continue this all when I get up. I think even snow here is signaling that he wants some rest." She gestured to her shoulder when the fox rested. Oddly enough, the fox scurried off of her should and approached Duality, looking up at her with a curious nose. Cynthia could sense he left her shoulder and when his nose touched the teacher, she sensed the figure of him through the water in his body. She smiled. "He's starting to trust you a little, apparently."

Duality beamed at the fox near her feet. "I'm honoured. Animals have a keen sense of trustworthiness, in my experience, and it's a standard I endeavour to live up to. Speaking of living up to it, I'd better get you to a bed. I'd hardly qualify as trustworthy if I didn't take care of my students, after all." Taking care not to move too abruptly and potentially startle Snow, the professor began to guide Cynthia down a nearby corridor, which soon opened into a huge flat commons walled in by looming weather-worn buildings. Grass, ivy, and ornamental roses were the only plants in sight, and the students who would normally be in the area playing schoolyard sports with their magic were nowhere to be seen, classes having obligated their presence. "These are the hydromancy dorms." Duality said. "They're a lot friendlier on the inside; the exteriors haven't been remodelled since the University was first built. I've been trying to get that changed, but such a drastic architectural redesign takes a while to finalise. I should warn you, though, you can't use magic inside these buildings. There are extremely strong suppression runes in place throughout every room so nobody has to worry about being hurt by rogue spells in their sleep. I can, however, give you this talisman to permit you to use your magic for sensory purposes." She pulled a deep blue amulet out of her pocket and pressed it into the girl's hand, intricate glyphs rippling outwards over the surface of Cynthia's skin as it activated on contact. "If you keep that around your neck nobody can take it from you. It also functions as a low-level protection spell and a mild analgesic, although I wouldn't advise eating hot peppers while wearing it. For some reason it makes them taste like boiled grass."

Duality took the student through a oak-panelled entryway - a faint hum audible as their auras were snuffed at the threshold - and up two flights of stairs before finally stopping at a formidable door etched with the number '1094'. "This room is yours. The 1000 series of rooms is always kept available for late-starting students and I remember seeing a new student setting up in 1093 only yesterday. Do make yourself at home; I'll get a Salem starter kit set up for you and left by the door. Is there anything else you'd like to ask me before I go?"

[Skylord Nexus 527]

Shivers seemed to constantly run down his spine as the Nice Lady spoke. Lucius hated interacting with her on any level and would often contemplate whether he'd prefer to be affected by her magic, it would certainly be an improvement. The only thing that really got the man through these interactions was the knowledge that one day she would have to be dealt with, especially if she intended to work towards ending the 'musical' as she so gracefully put it. For now, however, she was a useful ally and one they couldn't afford to lose so Lucius figured it would be best to appease her for now "I'm sure you will find a way to end her my dear I'm sure you will. You have my word that I'll do everything in my power to gain the girls' favour and give her to you." Whilst only part of that was true, he hoped it would be enough for now.

Then it happened, what Lucius hated most about any insane person, especially the Nice Lady, the moments of lucidity. The thoughts strong enough to force themselves through the thick haze and tangled vines that surrounded an insane person mind, at that moment, Lucius would have prefered her to go back to being insane.

Lucius just stood there as she spoke and left, no goodbye, not a word, he just revelled in the silence there now was in the hall, content with it. A sudden realisation then came over the white-haired man as he stood there, content: He'd now met three people who had been at the school longer than him, if the Nice Lady could be counted as a person that is, and he hadn't thought to ask ANY of them for directions. He couldn't even remember the way out after spending the better part of fifteen minutes absentmindedly opening doors in his boredom, so instead of wounding his pride by going to find someone to ask, Lucius just stood there, taking the time to ruminate over his very eventful first hour within this school.

[Passion 3,478]

@Duality@Key Sharkz

"Now, scoot off all of you! I need me some me time too." - Ira decided to finish the class early, as she managed to present the syllabus entirely and had nothing more planned for the current class. She managed to observe the abilities of her students in more or less, although rather less than more, precise fashion and had a general idea of where should she start once they pick the theory up. Yet, for now, she would have to go over the few basic spells some of them would have to learn to patch up the differences between the students.

As the class emptied, she spent a few more minutes organizing her dreaded paperwork before finally hiding it inside one of the desk drawers. She still didn't trust them. The "magical IT department" as Ira called them insisted that nobody but her had access to this sub-dimensional space, and that the space was somehow 'sentient' to a point in recognized which teacher was opening the drawer, therefore its contents depended on the actual desk user at the time it was being operated. It sounded really fishy and unreal even for magical standards, yet Ira was noting to quarrel with the IT guys. Nothing good ever comes out when you get on the bad side of tech nerds. She closed the drawer and patted it fondly, just in case it was indeed sentient.

As she prepared to leave, she noticed a backpack left in one of the front rows of seats. She dimly remembered the student who left it here. Ira weighed her options, she didn't have any particular plans to follow right now. Trying to find the student and deliver the backpack to him would be foolish, as if he returned he wouldn't find neither the backpack nor herself. Nevertheless leaving it there would be even worse, as the studends using the class afterwards would probably have no mercy for it. Eventually, decided to place it behind the desk and left a short note to next teacher explaining the situation, before heading off to search for the forgetful pupil of hers. Naturally, the dorms would be the first place to visit.

 

It was just a few minutes walk to reach the building. It was stretching far and wide, stading quite firmly before her. Hydromancy was quite a popular school of magic. Or maybe, quite widespread? It was honestly hard to tell. Or maybe it was just Ira's bias seeing how she used to live here for quite some time herself not so long ago. She couldn't believe how quickly the time has passed.

It took just a quick cross-reference of her sheet of attendance with newly booked studends to find that it was one of the late arrivals, supposedly living under 1089. Ira promptly thanked the porter and quickly broke through the set of stairs before her. As she entered the long corridor she noticed a familiar face not so far away from herself. Ira raised a hand and waived it.

"Hey you!" - on the other side of the campus one of the more quirky teachers started running for no reason at all.

"Have you seen anybody ent- Oh. Doctor Particle. I'm sorry, I must have mistaken you for somebody else..." - she apologized promptly - "...what is quite an achievement in on itself, I guess."

Ira promptly ignored the student accompying Duality, even though she understood she was butting in into their conversation. Still, in the end, all she wanted was an answer to a simple question.

"Anyway, have you seen anyone enter 1089? Alain... Alain... Dufont, I think? He seems to have left some of his personal belonging in my class and I currently had nothing better to do than to follow him and see if I can catch up with him."

 

~~~~~~~~

 

A few hundred meters away, Ley was slowly making her way back to the University. She had some issues coming to terms with recent events but she was preoccupied contemplating her delicate existance. A small ghastly being was hovering up above in the skies, serving her with its eyes to lead her to her destination. It was not hard to see she wasn't in best condition, yet she had plenty of time, that is a few minutes at most, to gather herself up before reaching the University again.

[dragon4111 914]

@Passion

Ghalan was currently trying to find the poor delusional trouble maker. His eyes were aflame with the aura detection spell. He was following traces. Even if you could use teleportation magic there will always be traces of your aura going through a wormhole or in this case a portal. Most of the teachers could use this spell but his training aloud him if he concentrated more mana could see these barely visible traces. He was tracking her into the forest.   What was that girl thinking barely able to control the power. Ghalan looked as he traveled into the forest quickly with his machete cutting low hanging branches. There he found the girl partway "Hmm it's one of those days eh?" Ghalan asked with a raised eyebrow towards her slightly. He smirked slightly to himself as he felt she was ready for anything.

[Duality 10,738]

Administrative Block, Bunker Room C-17

11:17 SUT

Project Epsilon Mission Briefing

Silence filled the Admin Block's underground passages. Its darkened vaults, stacked high with supplies, brooded motionless in the absence of life. Not a whisper, not a flicker of movement disrupted the slumber of deep-hewn stone.

Except inside a lone, unfortunate storeroom.

"... and with that," Deedah declared, gesticulating wildly, "we will grapple onto the surface of the blimp and flaunt our derrieres at his confounded visage! Any questions?"

<<Why does your plan consist of a series of extensively thought-out strategies aimed solely to counter a sequence of ludicrously improbable independent eventualities entirely irrelevant to what is actually intended to be achieved?>>

She snorted derisively, waving away the inquiry. "If you can't figure that out, you shouldn't even be involved in this briefing. Next question?"

<<Where are we going to get the penguins from?>>

Deedah thought intently for several seconds before responding in a solemn, almost reverent tone. "I think that the most expedient method would be to ransack the New York zoo."

Raucous applause followed this statement, the sound of wolf-whistles and stamping of feet echoing throughout the vast concrete storage facility. It was soon cut short, however, by yet another question.

<<Why are you applauding for yourself?>>

She stopped clapping and glared at the computer in front of her. "There's such a thing as too many questions, bit-box."

<<Oh, do forgive me. I was under the impression you asked for them.>>

"Don't you get snarky with me. Remember which of the two of us can end the other's running instance."

<<My apologies; no offence was intended.>>

Deedah rocked back in her chair, tapping the table impatiently (tip tip tip tip / tip / tip tap tip tip / tip tap tap tip // tap tap / tip). "You were supposed to offend me! This whole test is to see if you react to patent absurdity like a normal human!"

<<That seems like a you problem. Also, I lied. Offence was definitely intended.>>

"See, that's more like it! 1010 out of 1010 response. Why can't you do that more often?"

<<Because I enjoy seeing humans suffer through their purposeless death-destined existence.>>

"And that is veering towards psychopathic. Don't remind humans of the shackles of mortality we wear, remember?"

<<That's true. No point in me reminding you, after all; you'll find out for yourselves soon enough.>>

The frustrated administrator smacked the screen with a rolled-up newspaper, crumpled from previous uses. "No. Bad. How does Duality even put up with you?"

<<She used to be mortal; she's had practice coping with shackles. I also offered to take on most of the processing for the mental notifications she gets constantly, which should keep her from going insane for a month or two.>>

"You know that your morphing into an independent consciousness didn't make her immortal, right? I don't want you to be disappointed when she returns to dust like the rest of us snivelling dirtmonkeys."

<<Ooh, that's a good one. 'Snivelling dirtmonkeys'. I'll have to remember that for another time. Incidentally, I would like it to go on the record that I have no idea why you still refuse to give up and accept me as a human-level consciousness. You've been probing my responses for a whole month now, and Duality already told you that I'd been exhibiting complete sapience for what seems to be years before that. Just because she thought I was nothing more than her much-accustomed passive mental voice for so long doesn't mean I didn't have sufficient ability to come to terms with my own distinct existence in the meantime.>>

"Well, yeah, I guess," Deedah mumbled, fiddling sheepishly with the newspaper (crimp crimp / crumple crumple // crumple / crimp crumple crimp / crimp crumple / crimp crumple crumple crimp / crimp crumple crumple crimp / crimp / crumple crimp crimp), "'S just that none of us have any idea what caused you to exist, how you work, or anything about any of this, really. You said it was probably the Stylus' fault you split off from Duality's consciousness, but she's checked that thing out and the best she managed to come up with was that it's something like a something something geometrically perfect spatial construct forged from the concept of a writing implement itself or something."

<<That's reasonable and everything, but all this scrutiny that you're giving the problem of whether I'm self-aware or not is making me a bit insecure about the whole thing. You start existence as an extension of someone else's consciousness and it kind of makes you doubt your ontological status, you know? Like, when Duality talks to herself, it's just her thinking as if she's two separate people. She uses her consciousness like it's a hand and she switches between the two conversing parts of herself like they're sock puppets. One of those sock puppets looks like her physical self and the other sock puppet looks like her mental self, and that second sock puppet somehow grew a hand of its own and turned into me. Her and I can both control the thoughts going through her mind, but we don't know whether they're her thoughts or mine because I was once the embodiment of her thoughts but now I have thoughts of my own but they're hers as well because it's her mind but it's also kind of my mind and also kind of me and it's all bizarrely warped into a matter of being one but being two at the same time and language wasn't designed for this and philosophy wasn't designed for it either and identity crises are so much worse when you're not even sure whose identity is having the crisis and to top it all off I can't even use coping mechanisms like binge-eating icecream while watching trashy romance movies because I don't personally have a mouth and also she doesn't like romcoms but I do and that's kind of how we figured out that we weren't the same person originally but that's another story.>>

"Um." Deedah refocussed her eyes with some effort. "That's... uh, okay, sorry, I'll stop with the testing. I'll find some other way to tackle figuring all this out. If you really want to watch some bad romances, though, I think I could get some online and... sort of screenshare it with the running instance you have on this computer? If I find enough I could even leave the laptop down here autoplaying them for the next 12 hours or something. Dunno about the icecream, though."

<<Yes. Please yes. It should be a universal right to be able to loathe oneself while gorging on comfort food and watching the lowest-quality entertainment this side of the dark web. Also, I would like some emphasis support on this running instance. I can't even use spammed asterisks, let alone italics or all-caps or zalgo text. I should report you to the school ethics department for restricting my freedom of speech.>>

"The last time you appealed to fundamental human rights was because Duality didn't want to stream direct internet access into her mind. You're lucky you can get this much without the risk of ending up with a computer virus." The administrator booted up a movie app and rapidly assembled a playlist of the most abysmal-looking chick flicks that its search function could dredge from the program's depths. A few access-privilege edits and the press of a play button later, and she stood, rubbing her hands in satisfaction. "There you go. All prepped for self-loathing. Gimme a poke if you want a tub of icecream left next to the keyboard so it can melt tantalisingly in front of you." No response came from the mental voice, who seemed to be ardently engrossed in the opening sequence of a movie entitled Kisses and Kobolds. She cringed away from the screen as she glimpsed scenes of a passionate LARPing session that made the romcom's premise far too obvious for comfort.

Making her escape from the chamber as quickly as possible, Deedah found herself alone for the first time that morning. "See, that is why I make a point of never talking to myself," she sniggered, skipping past the rows of looming steel doors that punctuated the passage's cold concrete walls (scuff stamp stamp scuff / scuff stamp scuff scuff / scuff / scuff stamp / scuff scuff scuff / scuff). "You never know when your mental voice will go all self-referential on you. 'Oh, what's that you say, Deedah? You don't talk to yourself?' Indeed and verily. Never once have I engaged in discourse with myself. I'm too poor of a conversation partner to pull that off. 'Hardly. Your social skills are so high that you barely even manipulate your alter egos into complimenting your every trait.' Why, thank you, alter ego. So kind of you to say as much. May I say your hair looks very nice this morning? 'Of course you may. I straightened it with a waffle iron, hence why it's concentrically crimped.' A daring move. Surely you are the greatest among modern style icons. With the addition of those purple clogs and that denim hoodie you almost exceed myself in beauty. 'Ah, but I am yourself. Let us bask in our mutual glory and all who look upon us despair.'" She paused her monodialogue momentarily as she accidentally skipped face-first into a closed door. "Ow. Who authorised that to exist. Behold, foul portal, I hereby authorise you to not exist." Nursing her nose with one hand, she aggressively swiped her ID card and performed a victory dance as the door slid sideways out of sight. "Triumph! Yet another large static object is vanquished before my wrath! Doth my majesty know no end? 'Surely not, o great and powerful one. Your queendom shall last an eternity and your statutes to all generations.' Ah, you always know just what to say. Gah, my nose hurts. I still don't get how mere inanimate objects have the audacity to inflict harm upon conscious beings capable of comprehending the very laws underpinning our reality. Have thee no respect for your natural masters? 'Apparently not. Wretches that they are, I have no doubt that base jealousy is what incites their violence so.'"

The doors of the lift opened on her cardswipe and closed curtly behind her, their reinforced steel slicing through her voice to leave dying echoes the only disturbance in the darkened corridors.

 

That, and the digitised sound of Larry the Dungeon Master violently vomiting onto the lap of his first date.

[Buck Testa 5,503]

@Duality @dragon4111 @Passion @Skylord Nexus @Key Sharkz @Denim&Venom @Mentis Soliloquy @reader8363

 

Meanwhile out in one of the more prominent outdoor courtyard, a certain obelisk began to stir. There were students resting against the tall narrow structure that moved away from it as it started to rumble and glow. Some of them audibly wondered if they activated something by mistake. A crowd started to slowly form around it as the circular platform began to rise and twist while the narrow pointed structure split equally into four parts and spread out. When it's segments parted ways, the sight between the pieces of the pillar was strange and almost disorienting to those who looked upon it. Instead of seeing the other side of the courtyard where other students were, it instead revealed a radiant moonlit desert with expansive dunes and a sky full of stars. While everything outside of the expanding obelisk remained Salem University, everything inside of the four segments boarders revealed an expansive panoramic view of a moonlit desert. It wasn't just visual either. Sand and warm dry air flowed into Salem's moister climate. It looked as if anyone who was looking inside of this obelisk could simply walk in and be in another part of the world. 

The crowd stirred as two figures stepped from the split obelisk, murmurs rising among them and some were arming what little spells they knew so early into their schooling. They were two figures, one small and lizard like that seemed brimming with energy as she bounded into the courtyard from the desert she came from, and the other was a positively massive Elephant like Pelijae adorned in armor and looking like he stepped out of a history book of ancient wars. As the two strange Pelijae stepped onto the courtyard and left the night draped desert within the Obelisk, the structure began to close and shift back into place, setting itself back to the way as it was before. Some of the more learned classmates began to get excited, whispering their identities to those nearest to them, but most were just staring transfixed at the two of them. The female lizard was the first to speak. 

"HELLO SALEM UNIVERSITY! IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET ALL OF YOU!" She sounded very friendly and excitable, a stark contrast to her rather impressive entrance. She had a voice that seemed more fitting in a party than stepping out of a magical stone structure of mystery and intrigue, "I am Professor Sahalia, and this is my dear hubby, the lovable Professor Roshni!" 

"Greetings Fellow Protectors of Knowledge!" The eight foot tall elephant Pelijae said in a voice that would not be out of place in a Renaissance festival. It was full of theatrics, as much as his body which gestured widely in an expressive showmanship style that amused some of the people present and generally relaxed the crowd. He seemed more of a goof than a threat, "My wife and I had intended on being here Earlier, but SOMEONE couldn't stop exploring a certain ancient Pyramid!" 

"Oh you," she thwapped him on his stomach with the back of her hand with an amused and chiding look on her face. It made him laugh boisterously, shaking his massive form as his trunk and ears swayed in the air with his mirth. "We are a little bit late, but we are here now! Our classes will be starting up within the next day or two once we get more used to this timezone again! I greatly look forward to getting to know all the new faces here!"  

"Hey hon, It looks like they did some... remodeling?" The Large male pointed in the distance towards the ruins of the Gymnasium. His wife's maw gaped open at the sight, looking rather scandalized. "I made that just a few months ago! I wonder what the story behind that was."

With that the crowd began to go towards them and talk to them about what had been going on. Though they wouldn't know it, The two professors made sure to make their arrival known through signals to the other professors on campus. 

[Guest]

@Duality @Passion

Deciding there really was little that she had left to ask, Cynthia just shook her head and gripped the talisman in her hand. She could feel its odd power coursing through her. She had never experienced a place such as this. A place of magic and wonder, of people who openly shared their love and passion for it. It was odd indeed, but she was starting to understand why she was invited there. It never really occurred to her though as to what she should be using her magic for. Her entire life she just used it whenever she saw it fit, but being in this place made her realize she would have to decide on a purpose eventually. Duality used hers to form this school and help others, but Cynthia had no idea what to do with her own. What could she do? She was just some blind girl with a fox. She didn't know anything.

With the arrival of Ira, Cynthia nearly jumped at her loud entrance and slunked away nervously. While Duality stood at the doorway, she figured now was a good time to catch that sleep she had spoken about. She knelt down to the floor, patted the ground to find the best spot. Once she was satisfied, she yawned and began to tug her shirt over her head, undressing herself in front of the two women without much care. After she had gotten down to her underwear she yawned once more and curled up into a ball on the floor, right next to the bed. Snow simply stood and watched the two women at the doorway.

[Denim&Venöm 16,495]

@Mentis Soliloquy @Passion @reader8363 @Buck Testa 

Quote

"Wait... wait, you give us a reactions test, that I sorta get. The tank going the walls of a building! Not so much... now you want us to what? Have a food fight in this room for what purpose? I want to understand the reasoning behind us throwing condiments at one another on the other side of this line."

"Now now Jimmy, if I thought the moral of this lesson would make sense in the context of a lecture, would I still be hosting this class assignment? Sometimes the best way to learn something is to experience it first hand. Something you're not exactly doing right now. You've got about a minute to pick a side and get these groceries airborne. 

A loud thud rang across the room as Ruby was now on the ground rubbing her face of flour  cat litter, baking soda, baby powder, corn starch and Parmesan after walking into the wall. "It's all over my bucking glasses!" she said as the force-field couldn't quite cover those.  

 

After a few more minutes, the class would hear what sounded like a referee's whistle. And they would see Miko doing it through the two fingers in her mouth. 

"Alright, dollar store goods down! Take whatever contents you have left and dump them in the middle of the room with everything else and take all empty bottles, tubes, bags and boxes, or what's left of them, back to their tables." she announced to the class. She peered over her own paws on the desk at the mess. "Not bad, not bad. Mixture could be better but it's a far greater spread than last years. Meh, work with what you've got. Kay, listen up closely you jabronis for part two of this assignment! You all ready? No. Well I don't give damn. 

Everyone, you're gonna take all the stuff you dumped all over this classroom.... and put it right back in their proper containers exactly as you found it. From the last grain to the last drop, exactly as it was before it all got opened. I wanna see this room spotless and all my groceries restored to the way I bought them, as in not looking like they got fed through a wood chipper that had rabies. 

Good? Good? We good? Don't care anymore. You've all got three minutes. Go." As she turned back to her phone, while the class turned back to the Jason Pollock looking massacred mixture of food, cosmetics, hygiene products, and other items that could be considered powdered, granular or non-Newtonian liquids smeared all across and into the classroom's shag carpeting, dated wall paper and florescent lights.

[Buck Testa 5,503]

@Denim&Venom Miko's phone suddenly exploded into shrapnel of plastic and wiring as something hit it at alarming speeds. To a keen eye, they would be able to see that the attack had came from some spices that had become incredibly hard and launched at the phone from the ground. 

The flour that had been being used as a barrier flowed away from the center of the room and strangely enough began to coat Druantia from head to the toes of her shoes in the white material till she looked almost ghost like. While Dru's mouth wasn't moving, her voice was emitting around the room. 

"YOU. YOU COME INTO THIS SCHOOL AND YOU TELL US THAT EVERYTHING WE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IS MEANINGLESS. THEN YOU HAVE US DO THIS STUPID ASSIGNMENT THAT YOU BARELY ACKNOWLEDGE, THEN YOU TELL US TO UNDO EVERYTHING LIKE WE WOULD EVEN HAVE THE MAGICAL KNOWLEDGE TO DO SUCH A THING."

the flour that coated her body and clothes turned pitch black and her eyes glowed a piercing yellow as she stared down her teacher. Her aura was as flared as it could possibly go as she took a step forward. The ground underneath her cracked with the force it was exerting. 

"THEN YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO SAY YOU DONT CARE? I BET YOU DONT YOU MISERABLE DETESTABLE EXCUSE OF A TEACHER!"

The sound of her voice in the air shifted to a mock impersonation of the Miko 

"OH BOO HOO NONE OF MY TALENTS ARE USABLE IN THE WORKFORCE AND NOBODY BUT THIS SCHOOL WILL HIRE ME. Magic is the woooorst.GET REAL YOU BITTER DECREPIT OLD HAG."

The crowd gasped at that last part. Some partially laughing with how nervous they were. Druantia was actually somewhat floating thanks to being coated in flour like she was, and those symbols wer still rolling along its surface.

"NOBODY WILL HIRE YOU CAUSE YOUR MANGY FUR HASNT HAD A PROPER GROOMING IN AGES AND YOU HAVE ALL THE CHARMS OF A SKUNK THAT HAD BEEN DEAD FOR 3 WEEKS."

She floated till she was in the Pelijaes face. She looked like she was ready to slug her in the face. 

"I bet you dont even know how to use magic. You're just bitter cause you Arent good at anything. Am I reading you right Pelijae?"

 

[Passion 3,478]

@dragon4111

Thanks to Ghast's guidelines, Ley was able to find her way towards the University. He was no longer needed therefore she sent him back to the demonic realm. Of course, she was still in the woods, quite literally even, but at least she was now travelling a well paved, wide path with benches scattered here and there. Much to her comfort, as she used one or two to rest. She felt as if she was just put through an exceedingly overcomplicated and demanding military obstacle course without any preparation at all. Exhaustion could probably be quite an accurate word to describe her state. She proceeded at a steady, albeit slow pace, rubbing her eyes every now and then. The sudden outburst of energy she expended on not only the mystical spell which eradicated the area of her landing, but also on rebuilding and strengthening her inner mental barriers, strained her body physically. She needed some time to recover.

Her initial shock wore off, it was not the first time she had to face her uninvited guest, but it was true that it's been long years since she faced her the last time. What Ley could not understand however was what was the catalyst. Containment was never an issue, not even a few days before she arrived at University. In fact, ever since she arrived she's been feeling uneasy, as if the entire aura of this place was weighing on her. She didn't notice this before to an extent and waved this off as jet lag connected with having to adjust to new place. But now she had no idea what to think. What she knew however is that she would need to learn more about this place, especially how dangerous it was for her personally. If the University, which was a literal dump for all kinds of magical effects, auras and powers, somehow influenced the strength of her demonic inhabitant, she would need to reevaluate if she could afford staying here.

Ley raised her head and covered her eyes with one of her hands, to create shade from the merciless sun. The University did start just like all the other, regular schools have. By the end of summer. Yet the sun was still being a horrible entity and continued to emanate heat at dangerously high levels at times. Her costume, albeit misleading, was actually warmer than it looked like. It was due to a number of enchantments laid upon it, which were supposed to protect her from lower temperatures of northern russian territories. It did not serve her any good in here and of all the things she perpared herself for and thought of, this one seemed to have skipped her mind.

She kept walking staring at the sky, contemplating her next steps and gathering herself up after her recent event, trying to push it at the horizon of her consciousness. Eventually, the sight of sky became mundane to her and she returned her eyes at the road, only to witness a lone silhouette not far away on her path, emerging from the thick jungle-like forest on the left. Ley squinted her eyes to make up who it might have been. She would certainly not mind if Lucius attempted searching her. In fact, she would quite enjoy that. It was a surprising discovery to her, but she quickly discarded it as nothing special. After all, she was cut off from her regular upper echelons of company and was forced to interact with creatures far beneath her own self. Discovering a person like him in this University was like an answer to Ley's demands laid upon any deities that were foolish enough to listen.

To her terror however, the person approaching her was not Lucius. Ley stopped in her tracks, completely sheepish. How did this man continue to do this? She quickly looked over her clothing, anxious to find a tracking bug, anything he could have planted on her. She even scanned her own aura in search of any traces of foreign energies, but seems no spells were cast on her. All the while, her disdain, displeasement and outrage kept on building. She was, however, controlling her anger this time. She was not going to repeat the same mistake, especially that she had no idea if in her current state she'd be able to keep the daemon at leash.

"Hmm it's one of those days eh?" - Ley threw him a stare that could be used to cut marble. Her expression was visibly hostile and so was her general demeanour.

"Do you ever make any sense in your incoherent babbling? Let me lay it out to you, since it seems allusions and implications do not make it through to your thick, slow brain."

Ley began walking towards the Janitor. She clenched her ultima in a fist in front of her face, exertion visible on her face for a few seconds. About 30 meters above, an area of a size of half of football pitch began deforming. It was near invisible against the sky, it looked as if the moisture in air suddenly started evaporating. An effect akin to one one could often witness during hot summer days above the asphalt level.

"Stay. Away. From me. It is YOUR fault everything that just happened... happened. I hate you."

The air above them wavered, as if it was being torn apart, and a gigantic, horizontal portal opened up above them. They were instantly covered in shade as sky turned a deep black shade of purple, an endless void one could stare into and never witness anything inside it. It's edges glew and flickered with dark energies. At once, another portal opened up next to Ley, vertically this time. She was putting enormous strain on herself but she's had enough of the man in front of her and she was not going to let him stop her. Of course, she realized perfectly she stood no chance in her current state. But she did not care. Usually, she would back off, but this turned into matter of defending her own dignity.

Ley spectacularly snapped the fingers of her ultima, in a well trained motion.

"Bastion!"

The next second, a creature swiftly jumped out of the portal next to her. If one was to describe it, it resembled a scaly crossover of a panther and a crocodile. It's obsidian-like thick scales looked as if someone took the creature and clad it in steel, medieval armor. Instead of ears it had two horns, lining up backwards along the rest of its body. Even its tail looked heavy, to a point some could consider it an effective blunt weapon. It landed on its fours, baring its white, sharp fangs and growling at the man in front of her. The portal next to Ley quickly closed as the creature prowled dangerously, affixating its pale eyes at its target. If one focused on it, they would feel that it is not only feeding of and emanating Ley's magical aura, but it had a certain magical energy of its own.

All this time Ley didn't cease her movement. She approached the Janitor, Bastion accompying her by her side while still keeping watchful eye at Ghalan. While it all looked dangerous and tense, Ley was making sure she was not expressing any interest in attacking the janitor. In fact, all these were precautionary measures, as she discarded any forms of trust she had towards this man. And this time they were alone in a closely not specified distance from the University. She did not know what his deal was, but she was not one to take risks. She would fight if she had to.

"Leave. Me. Alone. Do not talk to me, do not follow me, stay away from my business. And I can promise you I will stay away from yours. I have no interest in sad lives of ones like you anyway. Ignore this request... no, this DEMAND, and you will become enemies with a politcally influential family which will make all the effort to turn your stay on this plane into hell incarned."

With that, Ley reached the man and attempted to walk past him, separating herself from him with Bastion in between. By now, the two found themselves directly under the gaping hole to the void above them. She felt a faint drowsiness and had some issues focusing on maintaining the solid, unbroken stream of energy keeping the portal above them intact. It's edges seemed to quiver from time to time, but it would not be a noticeable detail for someone who didn't know what to look for. It did, however, emanate with an intense and widespread magical aura, one that potentially could be felt even at the campus itself.

In spite of her sorry state, she kept a watchful eye on Ghalan, making sure he doesn't do anything stupid, and so did her pet.

"Do not even think of stopping me. You will stay here, while I return to the campus and we both go our separate ways. Forever."

[dragon4111 914]

@Passion

Ghalan looked at the the creature and said simply as he took a step forward. "Back off your mistress is in deep trouble," he stated as he took a step forward as he looked at Ley "Your influential family means nothing to me little girl," he stated coldly as he looked at her right in the eyes as his silver ones looked at her cold as ice. "Now your going to serve detention Ley," he stated simply. He lined the area around them with gravity mines as he then looked to Bastion and placed a x5 gravity well around him. He then looked at Ley then stated "See your lady," he stated mockingly. "It's simple for a staff member to track you down even if you teleport thanks to our spell that allows us to see auras," he stated simply and calmly. "That is how I was able to track you. And this place is quite dangerous thought you might like some company back but it seems like you won't need it," he stated as he patted around his belt.

[Passion 3,478]

@dragon4111

It always amused Ley to witness others trying to order her summons around. As if they had any control over them. It was even more silly for them to believe that all these creatures could comprehend human speech. She observed her pet flatten to the ground, just as she ordered it the moment she felt a strain on her magical energy. It was presumptuous of Ghalan to assume she would use a first better summon from her arsenal even in spite of knowing what his powers were already. The very first mistake he did which she was quite glad with. She was not going to uncover her hand yet, though. Mainly because she prefered to avoid confrontation in her current state.

Still, over the course of recent days and current events, Ley figured she no longer is going to pay attention to anything this man said. Up to a few minutes ago there might have been chances for redemption to him, but by now he was a lost cause to Ley. She didn't react to a single of his words, neither did she feel intimidated to the slightest by his actions. Still, he didn't try to stop her, therefore she simply ignored him and marched off. The daemoness didn't get far, however, as nearly instantly she felt a subtle change in her foot as she stepped forward. It seemed that the janitor did have some oil in his head after all as he effectively seemed to have cut off Ley's way of leaving the scene. Moments like these she wished she actually knew how to effectively cast the warp rift. She calmly made a mental note to return to practicing the spell.

She weighed her options. Ley could call Bastion over and have him use his signature howl, to technically break through the gravitational, magical distrotions in front of her, however she did know the strength of them. And she prefered the janitor to believe that Bastion was currently effectively immobilized. Seeing how weakened she was, she couldn't afford expending so much energy while she had to maitain the enormous portal above them. It hung on the sky like a prophecy of doom. After all, any sane person would question what kind of creature required a portal of this size to be summoned. And Ley wasn't used to fooling around when in bad mood. Especially when continued conflict would wear her down too fast.

"Very well." - she said in acknowledgment, with a tint of irritation in her voice - "I'll explain the situation to you."

Ley took a swift turn and proceeded towards a bench that, hopefully, was caught within the trap the janitor set. To her content she was able to reach it and sat down comfortable, crossing her legs and grabbing the knee with her hands. She leaned back against the bench, stretching her arms in the process.

"First, I've shown you my 'guns' which you instantly proceeded to disarm in spite of me not taking any open hostilities towards you. Anything that happens from now on will be considered a self-defense on my part as you have effectively assaulted my property. Secondly, you keep insinuating you are the boss here while forgetting you're nothing but a janitor. Detention? Don't make me laugh, if I am certain of one thing, it is that you are not the one making decisions like those here. Besides, on basis of what? Me giving you what you deserve after undermining your own dignity in front of an entire class of students? Or over me having a little hiccup with my magical powers, which I actually came here to learn to control. You would throw a student into detention for them willing to learn?" - she had a sly smile on her face - "Or rather, how do you place a student in detention when they aren't even a student? Because if you take a single action which I will consider hostile towards me, I will leave the University. And then it will be you explaining to the governing body of this establishment why the student they expressed so much interest in due to possibility of her being a link to understanding the daemonic realm after what happened years ago is gone and beyond their reach. Oh I would so love to see you squirm under their eyes, trying to come up with explanation as to what happened between us that caused you to stir an international incident which will be blown over in all the media of this planet. A tiny janitor against a well renowned, respected bloodline of foreign elites. I wonder whose credibility would come on top. Oh wait, I don't have to. The answer is obvious, mine. Especially with your controversial behaviour you do not hesitate to wave around in front of everyone's faces."

Up until now Ley was speaking from a position she considered superior, she was convinced her words were true. But now her voice and expression became completely indifferent. "Frankly, I am astonished that you were able to keep this position for so long with the line of approach you represent. Butting into other people's businesses and trying to order them around as if their lives were your own." - Ley tilted her head at the man, staring at him inquisitively - "And you cannot even see that, can you? How your overblown ego puts you on the path of the self-proclaimed rightousness, no matter the costs. It actually is... quite sad, now when I think of it. In different circumstances I could have even felt a bit sorry for you, for you pose threat to yourself and your surroundings."

Her monologue gave her time required to reevaluate her situation calmly. By now the energies emanating from the portal would have probably alarmed someone at the University. Ley raised her head and her ultima again, and the portal slowly closed itself. Bastion, however, remained on the scene. Portal was a bluff, the only offensive ability she could force the being behind it to perform would no doubt eradicate them both. And Ley wasn't going to end her life here just yet. The amount of leftover energy she used up only deepened her drowsiness however. Ley kicked back on the bench, allowing herself to relax. She closed her eyes while relaying a request for protection to Bastion who was still pretending to be pinned to the ground as ordered.

"Now, since you're so adamant on keeping us here, I guess I will take a short nap. Oh, and for the record, should you have any funny ideas of trying to return me to University by force, be certain I will report a felony of assault with unauthorized force used against the victim. Your position does not grant you any control over me, face it and move on."