Ephebe looked eagerly towards the kitchen.
"Well, I suppose it can't hurt to ask."
Before she could get up all of her empty dishes were whisked off of the table by what looked like a whirlwind and another whirlwind deposited what looked like a dessert buffet in its place.
"Yep, you're right. That does work much better. Saves a lot of wear on tear on all of our backs that's for sure. No idea where she puts it all," you can hear from the doorway of the kitchen.
Krays snickers...and begins to gorge on food as well.
"Very nice indeed. Especially since my adventurous mate is usually the source of such activity." He says teasing Ephebe. "I hope things stay settled till the little ones are born. But somehow, I doubt it..."
He looks accross the room to Vai "Whoa. Is she ok over there?"
"Yeah, she's fine. She went to explain about the copy thing and make peace. It was a little tense at first, but they seem to be doing all right."
Jim, once finished with his veritable mountain of food, returns to work on the Golems that were requested by Aananda. Once in the lab, his workshop crew get working, each one working on a different part of the golem. His mind wanders occasionally to Creation, and what had happened to all the "Champion" business of before, and whether that had actually been just one of these "dream" things he'd heard occasional mention of.
In a world of humans and their "best friends", the dogs, it was difficult being a cat. Her senses would keep tingling at the sound of every bark or dog-accented language, and it kept her from ever feeling fully comfortable. She learned about the riot that the lycans caused earlier, and it only confirmed her suspicions that dogs were not to be trusted. Even in human form, Jen could usually notice some small tell-tale signs with her honed sense of perception that would give them away as a lycan.
As she enters the cafeteria and heads towards the lunch line, she can't help but stare at the lycans for longer than is polite, just to make sure that they weren't up to no good.
At Kitty's words, Nimceleb springs up and after Saffire, the pair playing a very interesting game of aerial chase, first with Nimceleb chasing, then Saffire. The game ranges all over. Unfortunately, it is at that moment that Jen enters the room and makes for the table of food. The pair, which had been darting in between legs and chairs were not expecting the low form of a cat, and Nimceleb can't turn out of the way fast enough, colliding with Jen at full tilt, sending them both into a roll, which ends with Jen on top.
Vai gasps as the situation unfolds and quickly runs over to check to make sure that both the cat and Nimceleb are okay. Vai approaches the feline slowly, making calming and soothing noises to try and placate the no-doubt traumatized cat. Vai's efforts are clearly that of a novice.
"I know I not so bright, but if you want girl to talk to you, isn't better to talk to her first?"
"Shut up. You know Sadie no wants talk about it."
"But it no make sense to me. Sadie just stare at blonde girl and no say hello."
"You know I'm sitting right here and that I can hear you, right?" Sadie asked sharply. "Zren, I know you're trying to be helpful, but you know less about romance than you do about classical literature so could we just not talk about who I do or don't have a crush on?"
Fei sits quietly, listening to the course of the conversation between Jeran, Enre and his relatives and observing their particular body language for any other cues.
Despite his trepidation and slightly bumpy start, Jeran is holding his own quite well. In light of this, the young monk's attention slides momentarily to the aerobatic tumult in the air above the tables as the two winged creatures fly about and then barrel into a cat.
She's so cute. Apologizing to a cat. How adorable is that. Aagh! I've got to stop doing this to myself. She probably won't even like me. It'll be Ursula all over again. I don't need more sympathy. I can't take this.
"I need to go. I have practice."
"I still think you should say hello."
"Not today Zren. I have practice. Another time."
Ori sat in the library fending off glares from the librarian and going through volume after dusty volume looking for the slightest reference to the book she was looking for. She sighed. And sneezed. And shrugged apologetically at the glaring librarian.
For some time now there has been a cloud hanging over the library.
Literally.
It is not the usual carcinogenic cloud of discouraged and panicked thinking and "thinking" done by students cramming for tests or trying to figure what a term paper is supposed to be, but an actual wet, foggy mess. The cloud would be dispersed -- or so it was thought -- by various storm-talented sorcerers found among the student body and staff, but would inevitably be discovered in a far corner somewhere, avoiding attention.
If anyone made the correlation between Nasima Shearskye's ceaseless presence in the library, and the never-leaving cloud, they didn't say anything about it.
During recess, Aananda hears a faint tapping at her door. "Professor Sunwake?" (She would recognize the voice as Nasima's) "Are...uh...are you in? I need to talk to you, I'm sorry to bug you."
The lab door slides open. "Come on in, Nasima. I was just working on some stuff, but I have a few minutes to talk. Don't worry, you're not bugging me. Here, have a seat," she said pulling up a stool near the workstation she's been using.
Jim looks up as the door opens. Recognizing Nasima, the first student he'd actually "met", he gives a quick nod to acknowledge her presence, and returns to work.
The sylph stumbles tiredly into the lab -- an unusually graceless move from her -- and sort of pours herself onto the stool. Her posture is uncharacteristically slumped and there are dark circles etched under her heavy-lidded eyes. "So...Professor Sunwake...this stone in my head...do you have any idea what it could be?" 'Sima's hair sort of circles around her forehead and various tendrils point at the clear gem embedded over her Third Eye. "I've searched all the texts but I don't know enough about gems and rocks and things to even know what I'm looking for. I was also, uh, looking up other things, too, so I kept getting distracted. But it's like, I don't know its properties. I can't pull it out. But it does stuff. And...do you know?" She looks hopefully up at the teacher.
She looks dully over at Jim when he waves, seeming not to recognize him at first. Then she gives a sleepy smile and waves back, a girlish wiggling of her fingers.
"...Book of the Damned can be used..."
"...Book of Life kills the living...."
"...Sanguine Tome of the Desolate was lost during..."
"Nothing. Four books describing ancient tomes and books, and not one single clu-" Oniero is about to throw the last book down when he reads the last sentence again again. His knowledge of definitions did not fail him. He was running out of the cafeteria before his fork hit the table.
"Let me take a look."
Aananda gently grabs Nasima's chin and holds her face as still as she can while she looks at the stone. Her eyes change to a draconic appearance as she studies it.
"That's odd...we'll start with the stone itself. It appears to be some form of diamond, but with flaws. The flaws seem to be key to its function. This thing is chock full of magic. In fact, that's its purpose. It's a focus. Something is channeling magic through this stone. Specifically the magic is being channeled into you. I'd want another opinion on this, but I'm not sure this is healthy for you. It's magically fused...I'm not sure how to remove it either. I think we should have my mother take a look at it. She knows a great deal more about magic than I do."
Nasima's eyes begin to drift closed as Aananda speaks, and her chin rests heavily on the earthbender's hand. "That...that makes too much sense." she says sleepily. "Khoda put it there. It's his magic, I bet. I bet that's how I can use his power. But I bet he's...he's doing things, too. He wouldn't give a gift, ever; he doesn't know how." She shudders in disgust. "Do you really want to talk to Ryleh? I feel like...I mean, this is too small for her to bother with, isn't it? I already feel bad even talking to you about it, but I've been having these dreams, these nightmares, and I've been...kinda off, lately."
As Aananda watches, Nasima's pupils dilate and nostrils flare. She can practically see the adrenaline surge through the teen, though she does nothing except sit and quiver while her eyes roll wildly around, seeming to take everything in before settling back down into a dull stare.
'Sima's pulse returns to normal.
"It's not a bother, Nasima. Mother has been trying to be more involved lately. Besides, you're a close friend of Ephebe and if something happens to you then she'll try to stop it and that's probably a bad idea when gods are involved. It can't be good for the babies anyway. Humor us. You just rest right there and I'll ask Mother to come up for a bit."
She closed her eyes briefly. "She says she'll be right up."
Aananda's tone is warm and calm and she is smiling reassuringly the whole time she speaks.
In his head, Jim hears some abrupt commands.
::I want this place on lockdown. Now. Go to the panel over there on the wall and initiate Protocol 6 and then leave. Hurry.::
The "Basic Arcana" classroom was empty. The teacher's lounge was empty. Where was she? She had said something about the library, right? He ran for the library, ignoring the indignant shout of the librarian as he searched out and found Professor Reading. He all but slammed the book down in front of her and pointed to the sentence he'd read.
"The Sanguine Tome of the Desolate was lost during an expedition in the ruins deep in the Namori Jungle. It is said the Tome was leading the expedition to a treasure of unknown worth and value."
"I think I found a clue." He tells her as he tries to catch his breath.
"Sanguine Tome of the Desolate...Book of Forlorn Blood. Yes, that's much too close to be a coincidence. Oh, would you just shut up already," she said, turning on the librarian who was trying to shush them. "You've been enough of a nuisance already this week. This is what the library is for for crying out loud. Now go... catalog something!"
She took a deep breath. "Right. So. The Namori Jungle. Map, map, map...there has to be a map around here someplace. Ah, here we are. Now, where oh where is the Namori Jungle?"
An extremely attractive and well-dressed human of asian descent strides confidently through the halls of the school. He is dressed in an impeccably tailored Amosu suit with perfect, subtle pinstriping. His black hair is oh-so-perfectly ruffled, and has a single silvery-grey streak running through it. The tortoise-shell coloring of his Moss Lipow sunglasses matches his hair, his suit, and the tips of the laces on his shiny Berluti shoes.
He is wearing a faint smile on his face as he approaches the Headmaster's office. Unlike most students, he seems to know exactly where he is going.
He knocks politely on Ryo's door, just three times, then stands at-ease, his stance relaxed but ready, his trim and strong body a paragon of form and beauty.
Nasima comes back to herself. She blinks in confusion. "Wait. B-babies? What? Where are babies?" The sylph actually looks pleasantly surprised to hear there are babies around, as if this is good news.
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A pair of teenagers disembark from a carriage. The night sky framing the school which the pair are bound seems to glow slightly brighter, making a very picturesque scene. A boy and girl start up the hill towards the school.
Ghalen gets done eating, and heads out to find Mr Antairus.
Nasima comes back to herself. She blinks in confusion. "Wait. B-babies? What? Where are babies?" The sylph actually looks pleasantly surprised to hear there are babies around, as if this is good news.
Aananda chuckled. "Wow, you have been out of the loop the past few days. I was talking about Ephebe's babies. She's pregnant. With quadruplets."
As Jen walks to the food table, a flying projectile crashes into her side, leaving her dazed and disoriented, though generally unhurt. As a strange humanoid comes with soothing and calming sounds, she assumes that this new experience is some sort of dream and her new-found sentience temporarily takes a back seat to the much more powerful feline instinct.
The cat looks upwards at the approaching humanoid with fear in her eyes, too terrified to move very much and unable to speak.
Nasima comes back to herself. She blinks in confusion. "Wait. B-babies? What? Where are babies?" The sylph actually looks pleasantly surprised to hear there are babies around, as if this is good news.Aananda chuckled. "Wow, you have been out of the loop the past few days. I was talking about Ephebe's babies. She's pregnant. With quadruplets."
"I! That's! *squeeeeeeeee* OMG! It's...er, is that...wait, is that legal? I mean, I'm sorry; I don't know how it is for dragons, but in the Cloud Kingdom, well, er, there are age...'requirements'. But I'm so happy for her! Is she happy?! Is...is Krays happy?"
"I! That's! *squeeeeeeeee* OMG! It's...er, is that...wait, is that legal? I mean, I'm sorry; I don't know how it is for dragons, but in the Cloud Kingdom, well, er, there are age...'requirements'. But I'm so happy for her! Is she happy?! Is...is Krays happy?"Nasima comes back to herself. She blinks in confusion. "Wait. B-babies? What? Where are babies?" The sylph actually looks pleasantly surprised to hear there are babies around, as if this is good news.Aananda chuckled. "Wow, you have been out of the loop the past few days. I was talking about Ephebe's babies. She's pregnant. With quadruplets."
Aananda laughed. "For our type of dragon we are not capable of binding with a mate until we meet the age requirements. I was the same age as Ephebe is now when she and her brothers were conceived, so I don't have a lot of room to judge on that one. And yes, she and Krays are both very happy. They were a little stunned at first since they'd been taking precautions to prevent pregnancy, but once they got over the shock and adjusted to the idea they were thrilled."
Kitty hurried over, not as quick as Vai, but not too far behind. She knelt down beside Jen.
"Scary, noise...lots of noise, surprise. Help, scary."
Hearing the first friendly voice in her "dream" state of consciousness, she leaps into the protection of Kitty's arms and tries to bury her face into the crook of her elbow, to keep out the sight of the terrifying room.
Meanwhile, far away from the school, the Aspect of the Feline is having a little cat nap and doesn't realize what just occured.
Kitty let Jen cuddle against her as much as she wanted.
Kitty hums softly until Jen feels better.
Vai picked up the unharmed Nimceleb, tell it sternly to sit on her shoulder. Nimceleb pouts, but obeys and sits perched on Vai's shoulder. Vai turns to Kitty. "It's not hurt is it? Why is there a cat wandering around?"
"I think she's just scared. But I'll ask her again once she feels more calm. And I can ask her what she was doing in here too. She's lucky no one accidentally stepped on her. It can get a little crazy in the cafeteria sometimes."
After Kitty's care, Jen recovers enough to bring her head up to take a look around at her surroundings. She's not back to her usual "sentient" self, but she's regained her ability to speak at least.
"Thank you." She looks around the table at the assembled people and remembers Vai. "Are these other people nice too?"