Fieri nodded in acknowledgement before the sobs started. Her whole body shook as she cried.
"I'll leave you two alone and make sure no one bothers you." Ryo says, quietly leaving. ::Jiminy, I'm going to shut down telepathic communication coming in here for a while so you won't be bothered that way either. You'll still be able to get a hold of someone if you start it though.::
::Thank you, Uncle Ryo. We'll get through this. She just needs time. And lots of reminders that we're her family now. That was some pretty intense rejection.::
Daiyu smiles warmly at Nasima. It's almost a strange expression, really, to see on a woman so wiry and strong, but there it is nonetheless. For all her intensity the Sifu seems honestly to enjoy these discourses with all her young "teachers".
"That is an excellent lesson, Sifu Shearskye, and I thank you for it." she bows to the sylph, then sits straight again. "Who else would like to teach me today?"
Ryo gives Jiminy a mental nod before teleporting out to confront the Helios family(and Embre if he's awake).
"All of you are prime examples of people I can't stand. You think you are so high and mighty just because of where you live, you ignore emotion because your society tyrannically dictates you do so, and you couldn't care less about it! Maybe if you hopped down of your imaginary pedestal everyone once in a while you would realize there are better people than you and you should strive to a better person yourself, but no, that pretty pedestal is the only thing you have left now, isn't it? Considering how far firebird society has degraded over the last hundred years, I am not surprised at all."
"Oneiro Mance." He whispers back. "Don't worry about the noise. I didn't sleep anyway. I had some things to research."
"What were you researching?" Vai whispers curiously, still glancing nervously at the Professor. Her instructors at home didn't like it when people would talk in class.
Phaezeriel extends his palm and the oddly shaped, rose colored stone in it rises slowly into the air. Remaining in his meditative trance, Phaezeriel speaks to the class with his mind.
::This small stone was once an integral part of a very large rock formation many centuries ago. It was content, sure of its place in the world, sure of its purpose. Water seeped into the rock formation and slowly, surely, insidiously separated the stone from its fellows, changing it from part of a massive whole into a smaller individual. When it came loose from the rocks it fell thousands of feet. Was it destroyed in the fall? No. It remains. It is still strong. Centuries of flowing water and wind have smoothed and shaped this stone, worn bits of it away. Has it been destroyed? No. It remains. It is still strong. We can be changed by outside forces; even those forces that seem too weak or slow to change anything. But unless we allow it, we can remain true to ourselves. We only change who we are if we want to be different. Just as this stone has whispered to me of the wonder it holds within itself that, with a little effort and a little help from a jewelers chisel, can be fully realized, so too can we become so much more than we are with focused effort and the help of those we trust.::
"Oneiro Mance." He whispers back. "Don't worry about the noise. I didn't sleep anyway. I had some things to research.""What were you researching?" Vai whispers curiously, still glancing nervously at the Professor. Her instructors at home didn't like it when people would talk in class.
"A different form of astral projection." He whispers back, splitting his focus between Vai and Professor Reading. "It didn't work either, even when I tried it's simplest form."
"What's 'astral projection'?"
"Separating your spirit or mind from your body so it can move around without physical restrictions. Some people experience it and they call it an 'out of body experience'."
The Sifu bows low to the quasit. "Strength is a fundamental lesson, one I always seek to learn more about. I thank you, Sifu Phaezeriel, the pebble in your hand obviously contains much wisdom, and I look forward to being allowed to receive that wisdom over time." Without giving any physical hint that a question is coming, the ageless teacher then asks; "Please forgive this one's impertinence, sifu, but what is...'ourselves', and what is...'change'?"
::Change is both a beginning and an end, as all beginnings are ends and all ends are beginnings. Change is the end of one stage of life and the beginning of another. A chance to exerience something new. A chance to see the world through new eyes. Change is all this and more. Above all, change is simply perception. A growing child is said to be changing, but is it not still a child? Will it not be a child for all of its life? The concept of change is how our minds help us to understand our own experiences as we move through life. 'Ourselves' is one I have struggled to understand fully for over a century. Thus far true understanding of what that means has eluded me. My imperfect understanding is this: One's self is that sense of the fundamental nature of one's own existance. I once thought that Self was constant. But my own has changed so radically since the time of my birth that it has shaken my understanding of it to the core. That is what I have come here to learn.::
"Separating your spirit or mind from your body so it can move around without physical restrictions. Some people experience it and they call it an 'out of body experience'."
"Isn't that a litte... dangerous?"
"It can be, if you aren't careful. I have a lot of time to get precautions set up."
"I let someone be themselves! If that is 'damage' then so be it!" Ryo replies quickly. "Your people have broken, amended, or simply ignored their laws before, so why can't you do it now, if you love Feiri? Have you ever once thought that the law you hold to so much could actually kill all the firebirds off? How much longer do you have until all the families are just one big family with a genetic pool not capable of anything?"
"You seem like you know alot about magic. Why are you in the beginner class?"
"Because..." Oneiro pauses for a moment, unsure of what to say. "There is a difference between knowing how to do something and actually being able to do it."
"Mmmmm....well, those don't hurt either. Especially the good looks," she said, grinning impishly as she kissed him again.
"Biased." Michael thinks as he takes a look around. Noticing that they got close to Anderail in a surprisingly little amount of time, Michael lets the bronze force field fade away and steps between Kitty and the wind to take it's place. "So, what do you want for dinner? If we don't have anything at the house that piques your fancy, I can always go get some."
"Yes. I, too, struggle with Self. Sometimes, the forces that can change us come from within us, and cannot be stopped will-we-or-never. But to understand our Self is to understand Change, and hence move with that force, and actualize our Self."
She bows again, her forehead just barely touching the floor. "I thank you, Sifu, for this lesson." She straightens back up. "Will any of my other teachers instruct me on this day?"
Nasima gives the newcomer a sidelong glance. Huh. Pretty smart. Wonder what his whole story is? Seems more polite than most of the other new students, anyway. Hope it's not just a show...
"Mmmmm....well, those don't hurt either. Especially the good looks," she said, grinning impishly as she kissed him again."Biased." Michael thinks as he takes a look around. Noticing that they got close to Anderail in a surprisingly little amount of time, Michael lets the bronze force field fade away and steps between Kitty and the wind to take it's place. "So, what do you want for dinner? If we don't have anything at the house that piques your fancy, I can always go get some."
"It's okay, really. I'll try to eat whatever is for dinner. It's not what I'm accustomed to, but somehow I doubt Anderail has a big supply of bean curd and fish paste," she said, laughing. "Although if there's rice that would be wonderful," she added wistfully. "But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a meal anyways, even if there isn't any rice. At least, I'll really try."
"And how long will it be before our blood is so watered down that we are no longer firebirds at all if we start allowing marriage between firebirds and outlanders?" Fuego said stiffly.
"Ask the elves." Ryo replies, just as stiffly. "When you miss your granddaughter enough to break your law, send word. I'll ask if she has it in her heart to forgive." Ryo vanishes at that point, going back to his house to calm down, then to his children so he can spend time with them.
Ori picked up a stack of paper from her desk and released it into the calssroom. The papers folded themselves into the form of a tiger which pounced on Oneiro and Vai, pinning them down.
"Do I perhaps have your full attention now?" she asked dryly.
"But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a meal anyways, even if there isn't any rice. At least, I'll really try."
"You sure? Because I'm pretty sure we have rice and we know there is at least one fish back in the lake that Saffire wants a rematch with."
Saffire chirps his agreement.
Vai is extremely surprised by a tiger made of paper jumping on her, and she struggles against his pin, suddenly extremely clausterphobic. "Y-yes Professor! I'm sorry!"
"But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a meal anyways, even if there isn't any rice. At least, I'll really try.""You sure? Because I'm pretty sure we have rice and we know there is at least one fish back in the lake that Saffire wants a rematch with."
Saffire chirps his agreement.
"That does sound good," she admitted. "It's just...I'm trying not to be too demanding of a guest. But rice and grilled fish sounds absolutely heavenly," she admitted sheepishly.
Vai is extremely surprised by a tiger made of paper jumping on her, and she struggles against his pin, suddenly extremely clausterphobic. "Y-yes Professor! I'm sorry!"
Ori nods and the tiger lets Vai up.
"While I appreciate seeing my students getting along so well, I would also appreciate it if you would pay attention to the lecture, please and thank you."
"And how about you?" she asks Oneiro. "Are you perhaps ready to pay attention to today's lesson?"
Oneiro nods, taking a piece of paper from his notebook and using it to slice the paper tiger's leg off, freeing him and unbalancing the tiger enough to get it's claws off of Vai.
"I was paying attention before, Professor, but I think you just might have my undivided attention now." He tells Ori as he stands up. He makes an apple out of paper and hands it to her. "No book worms in it, I swear."
"That does sound good," she admitted. "It's just...I'm trying not to be too demanding of a guest. But rice and grilled fish sounds absolutely heavenly," she admitted sheepishly.
"Oh no, don't think you are being to demanding when I was the one who asked what you wanted. There is my place right there, the one with the faded drawing just above the roots. Let yourself in while I take Saffire back for round two." He hugs her gently and takes off back toward the lake, Saffire clinging to his shoulder.
Oneiro nods, taking a piece of paper from his notebook and using it to slice the paper tiger's leg off, freeing him and unbalancing the tiger enough to get it's claws off of Vai.
"I was paying attention before, Professor, but I think you just might have my undivided attention now." He tells Ori as he stands up. He makes an apple out of paper and hands it to her. "No book worms in it, I swear."
Ori laughs delightedly as she takes the apple. "A paper mage? Well, I hadn't dared to hope I'd be so fortunate as to have any students pursuing the same discipline as me. There aren't that many of us out there."
"Alright," she said, suddenly remembering to be stern. "I'll let it go this time, but in future I would apreciate it if you didn't distract your classmates during lessons."
Kitty, still shivering, climbed back up the tree and let herself back into the house through the window. She rummaged through her bag getting a change of clothes and quickly got into something dry. She gathered up her pile of wet clothes and went in search of a bathroom or somewhere that she could hang them up to dry.
"Um, it's my fault Professor Reading. I distracted him." Vai says quietly, looking at the ground, embarrassed.
"Kitty?" Michael's mother asks when she sees the young tiefling. "When did you get back? I didn't hear the door or you coming up the stairs."
"You asked to share my book. I started the conversation." Oneiro replies, covering for Vai with, well, the truth.
"I'm a self-taught paper mage, Professor Reading, if that means anything to you."
Why is he being so nice? Vai is thinking as Oneiro covers for her. She acutely aware of the stares of the rest of her classmates and quickly takes her seat again, her face burning red with embarrassment.
"Kitty?" Michael's mother asks when she sees the young tiefling. "When did you get back? I didn't hear the door or you coming up the stairs."
"Ummm....well, I kind of came in through the window," she said, blushing. She held up her wet clothes. "I was looking for somewhere to hang these....ummm....we kind of went swimming...in our clothes...in the freezing cold water....well, it started cause Saffire saw fish and then splash....er....sorry?"
"You asked to share my book. I started the conversation." Oneiro replies, covering for Vai with, well, the truth.
"I'm a self-taught paper mage, Professor Reading, if that means anything to you."
"Really?" she asked fascinated. "That's actually quite impressive....er, and probably something we should discuss outside of classtime," she said, embarrassed. This teaching thing was harder than she expected.
"Don't worry about it, dear, we can hang them up on the branches I use for drying clothes. Then we can look through the photo album my husband found in that statue of his. Turns out it is hollow on the inside, and the top comes off so you can put things in it. How Michael got the album in it without me seeing that is beyond me."
"Speaking of my son, is he back too?" For some reason there seems to be more than one question being asked.
Oneiro doesn't answer. He just sits his desk back up(the paper tiger had knocked it over) and sits down.
"Oh...well, Michael brought me back because I was so cold, but then he went back to the lake...ummm...he was going to catch fish. Er...okay, so that sounds a little insane, but he was doing it for me. Because he wanted to let me have food like I'm used to...he asked me if there was anything I would like and I said fish and rice...but I also told him that I was more than willing to try to eat whatever. I'm sorry. I feel like no matter what I say right now is wrong. I'm trying to get used to so many new things, but some things are easier to get used to than others. I like climbing through the trees, but the food...it's so sweet. The bread on the sandwiches earlier tasted like it should be dessert," she blurted out, blushing.
"Michael can be... willful sometimes. He's probably trying to make you feel welcome here." Sylvia tells Kitty as she takes her clothes up to the roof and lays them across small branches. She puts some small, clean rocks on them so they can't blow away before turning back to Kitty. "He really does like you, you know."
"Thank you." Vai mumbles as Oneiro sits down next to her.
"Don't worry about it." He mumbles back. "It was true."
"Michael can be... willful sometimes. He's probably trying to make you feel welcome here." Sylvia tells Kitty as she takes her clothes up to the roof and lays them across small branches. She puts some small, clean rocks on them so they can't blow away before turning back to Kitty. "He really does like you, you know."
Kitty blushed again. "I really do like him too."
"Sooo.....pictures?" she asked shyly. "I don't know why Michael is so determined for me not to see them, but the more he tries to keep them away from me the more I want to see them."
"Yes. I, too, struggle with Self. Sometimes, the forces that can change us come from within us, and cannot be stopped will-we-or-never. But to understand our Self is to understand Change, and hence move with that force, and actualize our Self."
She bows again, her forehead just barely touching the floor. "I thank you, Sifu, for this lesson." She straightens back up. "Will any of my other teachers instruct me on this day?"
Gustav, sitting cross-legged, his chin in his hands, elbows on his knees, stared at "his" pebble on the floor in front of him. "Pebble. Limestone, marble, or granite. Stuck in a riverbed for a glacier's age, or taken from the river and used elsewhere. Immobile, raw material." he said, bored. A shimmering, pink-white substance appeared on the ground in front of him, encapsulating the pebble. The ectoplasm took on different forms as Gustav talked out loud to no one.
"Alone, by itself, it is little more than nothing." Gustav declared. "But put it in the wall of a castle, and it protects the people within." A small, foot-tall sculpture of a medieval castle appeared out of the ectoplasm, the pebble imbedded in its' wall. "Make it part of a cobblestone road, and you get food to market. Or troops to battle. Without mud." the black-haired boy continued, the pebble lying flat in a caricature of a road. "But by itself? Nothing." The pebble rested by itself on the ground again, the ectoplasm gone. "So it really depends on what you want to do with it." Gustav finished, putting emphasis on his summary sentence to the teacher.
"Sooo.....pictures?" she asked shyly. "I don't know why Michael is so determined for me not to see them, but the more he tries to keep them away from me the more I want to see them."
"Probably all the school play photos we took when he was little and playing the part of Tree #3." She admits, laughing a bit as she leads Kitty down to the kitchen. She sets the album down on the table before getting the rice out and cooking. "Now, while we wait for him and the rice..."