"Saffire is a mix of different creatures, albeit with some interesting differences. Omurice is a mix of different ingredients. Cooking is just another form of alchemy when you think about it like that."
She laughed and shook her head. "Well, I still wouldn't go setting me loose in an alchemy lab. Somehow I doubt the results would be satisfactory."
"Well, if we got you a basic formula it shouldn't be too bad. Maybe I could find a simple hair dye for you." Michael notices his mother glaring at him and almost immediately realizes what he said. "Oh, um, not that I think your, uh, hair would look better as a different color. It's actually quite pretty!"
Sylvia winks conspiratorially at Kitty before going to get her husband and youngest son.
Hopefully, Professor Relkav's class will be as interesting as I hope it to be, Jim ponders aloud on his way to said class.
Kitty shook her head. "Hair dye? Really? You get so caught up when it comes to alchemy that you don't even listen to what you're saying. You did that earlier too when you totally spaced out while thinking about possible ways to improve Saffire."
She kissed Michael on the cheek. "Well, I'm glad you have something that you're that excited about. Just try not to forget the here and now too much," she added with a smile.
Aananda headed for Ryo's office to at least try to provide a little comfort for her daughter-in-law. She sighed. None of her children's mates had very good family situations. Well, at least this time no one had tried to kill anyone (that she knew of, anyway) so that was, sadly enough, an improvement on the last family visit.
She kissed Michael on the cheek. "Well, I'm glad you have something that you're that excited about. Just try not to forget the here and now too much," she added with a smile.
"I won't and I didn't. I may have just segued cooking to hair dye, but I was in the here and now. I wouldn't want to forget about it when you're with me anyway. I gave you permission to hit if I forget you, remember?" ;)
She kissed Michael on the cheek. "Well, I'm glad you have something that you're that excited about. Just try not to forget the here and now too much," she added with a smile."I won't and I didn't. I may have just segued cooking to hair dye, but I was in the here and now. I wouldn't want to forget about it when you're with me anyway. I gave you permission to hit if I forget you, remember?" ;)
"I remember. Now help me set the table. I don't know where any of the dishes are....I'm glad your mom let me help with making dinner. I feel less awkward and useless when I get to help."
"I remember. Now help me set the table. I don't know where any of the dishes are....I'm glad your mom let me help with making dinner. I feel less awkward and useless when I get to help."
"The table is in the next room." Michael says as he gets plates and utensils. He helps Kitty help out and the table is set by the time Anthony has been wrangled back in for dinner. He looks suspiciously at the rice at first, but eats it quickly when he finds out he likes it.
"This is pretty good." Michael's father says.
"Kitty made it for us." Sylvia explains. "She even showed me how. Oh, you should have seen it. I don't think I've ever seen anyone move that fast when cooking!"
"If they didn't like you before..." Michael whispers to Kitty.
Phaezeriel swoops into the room indicated on his map as the PE classroom, feeling deeply refreshed by the morning meditation. Seeing Ephebe already there, he waves and says Good morning! with a smile, remebering at the last moment not to let too many of his teeth show.
Kitty blushed.
"I'm glad you like it. I haven't had a chance to cook in quite a while and it was really fun. Thanks for letting me make dinner."
Ephebe smiled and waved back as she wrestled a huge bin full of balls out of the supply closet.
"That's pretty neat... but I should get going to my next class. Thank you again for letting me use your book. I... have a good day!" Vai smiles as she exits the classroom, consulting her scroll for her next class. Basic PE. Okay. Hurry.
Seeing both Ephebe and Phaezeriel in the class, Vai has a momentary bout of confusion. Wasn't Ephebe in the Advanced class? She waves anyway and moves over to help Ephebe with the cart.
"You too."
"Hey, Vai. Umm....it's dodgeball today, and don't worry about getting hurt. Only minor injuries usually if at all and I'll be sure to heal anyone who gets hurt. Mom had to duck out for a bit. Fieri's family visit went bad I think. At least Jimmy is really angry, so it probably went pretty bad. So anyways, I get to be in charge of the class today since I usually have study hall second period. Yay for me," she said with mild sarcasm.
Kitty blushed.
"I'm glad you like it. I haven't had a chance to cook in quite a while and it was really fun. Thanks for letting me make dinner."
"Eh, it's not that good." Anthony says, taking another bite of rice.
"You do realize you're inhaling it, right?"
"Shut up." Anthony grumbles. He does slow down though.
"Kitty?" Jeran asks. "Are you staying here tonight or going back to Avalon?"
Seeing Vai come in Phaeze smiles again and waves to her.
Turns back to Ephebe with a mischevious look on his face Professor Ephebe, if you dont mind, what is 'dodgeball'?
Vai hadn't really met Fieri or Jimmy during the confusion of the night two days ago, so she just avoided that. She smiled a little mischeviously: Does that mean there are three Professor Sunwakes at the school? That's gonna be confusing ma'am."
Vai hadn't really met Fieri or Jimmy during the confusion of the night two days ago, so she just avoided that. She smiled a little mischeviously: Does that mean there are three Professor Sunwakes at the school? That's gonna be confusing ma'am."
"Errrr......I'm not entirely sure about the name thing right now," she said, blushing. "But I'm sure that I'm no professor....more like an assistant," she said, laughing.
"Now, you may want to step back for a second. This whistle is loud," she said before blowing the whistle to call the class to order.
"I guess you're right." Vai smiles, hardly holding in laughter.
"Okay, folks, Professor Sunwake had to step out for a bit so I'm temporarily in charge. Today you'll be playing dodgeball. And since Professor Sunwake is kinda distracted, if you're moving around enough and having fun she'll probably let you keep playing dodgeball instead of making you run laps or do the dreaded ropes course when she gets back. Something to think about," she said, loud enough for the whole class to hear, then stepped out if the way to let them organize themselves into teams.
Watching the class separate into teams, Phaeze remembers seeing human children play a similar game. Suddenly overwhelmed by the memory, he stops moving and settles slowly to the floor, his wings and tail drooping, the only muscles that havent gone limp are those locking his left hand around the stiff, crystal chain.
His eyes vacant, Phaeze is lost in memory, seeing again the village of Broken Bluff.
It was a festival day. Everyone happily going to and fro enjoying a day away from the cares of work. Children in a small field playing a game involving throwing inflated pigskins at each other and trying not be hit in return. Why had his master sent him here? His face slowly twisting into a look of horror Phaeze reaches out to nothing with his free hand. Irritation flashed through him. This was pointless. Then evil glee flooded him; he had no other instructions beyond going to the village and observing its people. Shaking his head at the memory he cannot dislodge, Phaeze does not notice the tiny tears leaking down his cheeks. With a brief flight he approaches the children playing ball. No one sees through the invisibility screen his master put around him. With a brief gesture and a muttered word, he releases his spell into the flying ball. Again and again until he has cast the spell upon each of the toys. Then he waits. Phaeze sinks to his knees, head bowed, shoulders trembling slightly.
She gently touched Phaezeriel's shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?"
Jim walks into his classroom, only to be met by the stern gaze of Professor Relkav.... from several below feet his head. At a massive 6'9", Jim dwarfs the kobold.
Vai - slightly uncomfortable at the sight of Phaezeriel in such distress - tries to hide her feelings as she joins Ephebe at Phaezeriel's side. Unsure what to do or say, Vai will hesitantly offer a hand to help Phaezeriel up, flinching only slightly at his touch.
Startled out of the horror of his memories, Phaeze snaps his head up, his eyes unfocused. His voice lost to him, his mind shrieks ::NO!:: Everyone within 480 feet in every direction hears his anguished protest. For a moment they see madness in his eyes; madness and crushing pain. Then his eyes focus on Ephebe and Vai. Trying to speak, his voice breaks off, sounding like someone who has not spoken in months. Swallowing he speaks again, quietly Thank you. And he drops his eyes from theirs, unable to match their gaze.
"Come on, Phaezeriel, let's get you to the sidelines and we can talk."
"Okay, the rest of you can start playing. I'll be watching from the sidelines so play fair."
She and Vai help Phaezeriel over to the bleachers.
"So...you want to talk about it?"
Totally unused to this kind of reaction from anyone, Phaeze is at something of a loss. For a few minutes he is quiet. When he does speak, his voice is a little hoarse, as if he had been shouting or screaming for hours. I am sorry for disrupting your class Ephebe. And thank you both for being so kind to me. Kindness is not something to which I am accustomed. He takes a deep breath, trying to recenter himself.
I would rather not go into details, but the short version of what just happened is this: I was not a nice person during the first century after the Abyss vomited me out to be a familiar. I did many sadistic, despicable things. Sometimes those memories reclaim me. Memories so powerful they override my senses and force me to relive my worst moments, like a terrible dream from which I cannot wake until I relive it all. The most simple, mundane things can trigger these memories. Simple things, like a game of dodgeball. Most times I have no doubt that, despite my attempts at atonement, I am a damned, cursed creature. At these times, I know it for true.
Her instinct was to run, run as fast as she could when Phaezeriel had his outburst. But the moment past and she found herself helping Ephebe take the demon to the sidelines. Dodgeball didn't look like something she would've enjoyed anyway.
Vai kneels down next to Phaezeriel, him having said his peice. Doing so, she pulls her hair back behind her shoulders, her face completely exposed for the first time in Phaezeriel's memory. The piercing blue eyes meet with his and she speaks in a quiet, measured tone, as if remembering: "Your actions will determine whether or not you become like the monsters you call kin. If you choose to be your own person and live your life as you want to, then you'll never be like them. And that means you've beaten them." This is obviously something intensely personal for Vai, as Phaezeriel had never truly met her eyes before, and the intensity he reads in her face is also something new. "You can choose which path to take Phaez. Just because you are a cursed creature doesn't mean you have to succumb to that curse."
Vai is very clearly remembering or reciting something once said to her, and that thing is deeply personal to her.
Khassar finishes his shower and heads to his next class, History of Agartha.
I have become something more than I was. I have turned from the dark path that was laid before me. I am haunted by my past, but I am not ruled by it. I have won, but I am left with the memories to keep me company. In one respect, the memories are a comfort though: as long as I am still horrified by them, I know I have not reverted to what I was. With that, Phaeze closes his glowing silver eyes and wraps his wings around himself.
"Phaeze...are you capable of casting detect evil?"
Jim walks into his classroom, only to be met by the stern gaze of Professor Relkav.... from several below feet his head. At a massive 6'9", Jim dwarfs the kobold.
"You are new."
"Yes, I only just transferred the day of the technologically reanimated cadavers. My name is Jim, it's a pleasure to meet you. Do you know when the professor will arrive?"
"Phaeze...are you capable of casting detect evil?"
No, I cannot.
Khassar saunters into Professor Relkav's history class. He notices on the blackboard that the topic is a battle that he was a scout for that happened 729 years ago, but for him was only 2 years ago. Believing that things are looking up, he takes a seat at the back of the room and is rather glad that the morning exercise seems to have cured his hangover.
Kitty blushed.
"I'm glad you like it. I haven't had a chance to cook in quite a while and it was really fun. Thanks for letting me make dinner."
"Eh, it's not that good." Anthony says, taking another bite of rice.
"You do realize you're inhaling it, right?"
"Shut up." Anthony grumbles. He does slow down though.
"Kitty?" Jeran asks. "Are you staying here tonight or going back to Avalon?"
"Phaeze...are you capable of casting detect evil?"No, I cannot.
"Oh. Well, that makes things more difficult. I was going to use that as an object lesson or something," she said with a self-conscious smile. "The thing is, you'd be surprised how few pings you get with detect evil. Really surprising considering how many of the students here did truly awful things in the past. As bad as what you're remembering. And no, I'm not just saying that. I know what I'm talking about. I can show you if you like," she said, tapping her head to indicate that she meant telepathically, "but I think you have enough traumatic memories as it is. You don't need to add mine."
"Anyways, the point is that this is a good place for starting over, making different choices. You're not the only one here defying your upbringing and/or basic nature. So don't think you have to go through it alone, okay? Chances are there's always someone around who understands, and not always who you'd expect.""Oh, and just so you know...you don't ping either. Something to think about."
Kitty blushed.
"I'm glad you like it. I haven't had a chance to cook in quite a while and it was really fun. Thanks for letting me make dinner."
"Eh, it's not that good." Anthony says, taking another bite of rice.
"You do realize you're inhaling it, right?"
"Shut up." Anthony grumbles. He does slow down though.
"Kitty?" Jeran asks. "Are you staying here tonight or going back to Avalon?"
"Ummm....is.....is it okay for me to stay? I mean, I don't want to impose," she said, suddenly distressed.
"Yes, I only just transferred the day of the technologically reanimated cadavers. My name is Jim, it's a pleasure to meet you. Do you know when the professor will arrive?"
Gustav gave a start when he finally found the classroom. Just inside was the kobold teacher from the cafeteria earler....with a golem! "Oh wow!" the black-haired boy exclaimed. "Is this a real golem?" he asked excitedly. Gustav walked all around the golem without waiting for an answer, looking at the massive arms, the three-fingered hand versus the five-fingered hand, the boxlike chest. "I've heard about the golems countries used in battle, but I didn't think I'd see one!" he babbled. Gustav rapped his knuckles on the iron golem's arm. "Iron?" he asked. "There's some wood pieces, but the metal is too dark for iron..." The boy snapped his fingers. "I know! Adamantine! Which means it must have been a front-line fighter, it can really take the hits." Gustav continued to poke and prod at the unmoving golem on display for the class.
"She's not staying in my room. That little blue thing would mess it up." Anthony says quickly.
"Well, she can't stay in Michael's room while he's here." Sylvia replies. "Where would he sleep?"
"That's the problem you have with a girl in Michael's room?" Jerak asks.
"Dad!" Michael exclaims, just a bit red-faced. "Look, Kitty, it's not a problem. We still have all of tomorrow off from school, right? Where else would you stay?"
"Ummm....it's okay. I can sleep anywhere. I usually sleep on a futon on the flloor anyways. I can sleep on the floor in the living room if that's convenient," she said anxiously.
You're not the only one here defying your upbringing and/or basic nature. So don't think you have to go through it alone, okay? Chances are there's always someone around who understands, and not always who you'd expect."
"Oh, and just so you know...you don't ping either. Something to think about."
Thanks. This place is, I think, truly unique. I have been here for two whole days and have not yet had anyone run screaming from the sight of me or try to smite me. After a pause he adds with a small chuckle, Though watching some poor paladin try to smite me is rather amusing. Phaeze lets out a deep, shakey breath and speaks in a low voice, almost to himself, Gods, but I hate it when the flashbacks come. He straightens and you can see the life return to him, Thank you again. Both of you, he says as his gaze shifts from Ephebe to Vai, compassion and understanding feel as nice to receive as to give. I truly think I am going to enjoy my time here.
"Good. And I'm glad to see you're feeling better. Oh, excuse me for just a moment," she said getting up and walking a little bit away from them before blowing the whistle.
"Hey, Bradley, stay still. I'm not sure how you managed to break your own nose with the ball, but I'll have that fixed in a jiff if you stop hopping around, okay?"