"I am totally never letting them live this down. I mean, we're here on time and the boys are all late? That's comedy gold right there," she said with a mischievous grin.
Sinh scratches his head, trying to stir his memory. "Well, I don't know as I've ever met one... but I've heard of them. Some sort of deep-dwelling, crazy, fey sort o' people, I think. I'm guessing this isn't a hypothetical question, Master?"
"No. Although I could go into semantics, that's pretty much the gist of it. Anyway, I got the oozes from a derro. A friend from the war. I probably shouldn't have let him find out about the school, but it couldn't be helped."
Vakkler finds a spoon and starts fishing the leaves out of his tea. "He seems very interested in Avalon, but I'm trying to convince him to go elsewhere. So if you see him around here--he's hard to miss. Big white beard, wild hair, gray skin. Just don't make him too welcome, and let me know about it."He taps the spoon on the table, dislodging a few stubborn greens. "And be discreet about this. This isn't my fault, but the Headmaster might see it differently."
"Then you get to separate two people next time when one is trying to restrain the other because the other is trying to get rid of years of loathing out in every blast of lighting and slash of claws." Taron says as he half-pushes Kam into the garden. "And since Ephebe simply said to be here and be ready to go in twenty minutes, not that we were leaving in twenty minutes, no one's late. Besides, I'm the guy taking everyone aren't I? You can deal with. You'll probably thank me the first time you feel an open sky." He says with a wink.
"After the agoraphobia wears off anyway..." He mumbles.
Following a few steps behind Taron and Kam are some other students. Some seem eager to go on this mini-vacation while others seem skeptical that they'll actually be going anywhere.
"Who said I was going to be picking on you? Trust me, after all the times Jiminy has complained about how I always take too long to get ready, he's got a bit of razzing coming," she said, grinning.
** spoiler omitted **
"Who said I was going to be picking on you? Trust me, after all the times Jiminy has complained about how I always take too long to get ready, he's got a bit of razzing coming," she said, grinning.
"I think that Krays is a bit more at fault than Jiminy, but I'll let you raz my brother all you want. He needs it every once in a while."
** spoiler omitted **
EDIT: Can't seem to find it, but I could have sworn...hm. Kobold's going crazy.
It's unsettling.It is not unsettling...[/mind trick]
"I think that Krays is a bit more at fault than Jiminy, but I'll let you raz my brother all you want. He needs it every once in a while.""Who said I was going to be picking on you? Trust me, after all the times Jiminy has complained about how I always take too long to get ready, he's got a bit of razzing coming," she said, grinning.
"Well, someone has to deflate that big head of his once in a while, or he'd topple over when he tried to walk," she said, dissolving into giggles as she saw that Jiminy had walked in just in time to hear what she said.
He frowned in mock sternness.
"Why? Why must those closest to me lash out at me with such cruel mockery," he opined dramatically, before grinning and tugging at Fieri's hair.
"Brat," he said congenially.
Soon after the garden has started to empty, due to those leaving to gather their belongings, anyone left hears a voice seemingly express a joyful giggle. Anyone can quickly focus on a small male figure giving the garden a really in-depth search. He is very interested with the little wiggly things underneath the rocks and shrubs of the garden.
Soon after the garden has started to empty, due to those leaving to gather their belongings, anyone left hears a voice seemingly express a joyful giggle. Anyone can quickly focus on a small male figure giving the garden a really in-depth search. He is very interested with the little wiggly things underneath the rocks and shrubs of the garden.
She hears a giggle as Jiminy and Fieri tease each other and turns around.
"Hullo there, who are you?" she asked cheerfully.
Aananda sunk gratefully into the comfortable chair in the teacher's lounge. She was going to have to go talk to Ryo soon, but a few minutes rest first weren't going to hurt. Nine. She'd already found nine breaches in the school's security and who even knew which of them were being used by the Hunters. And she hadn't even finished checking the perimeters.
The boy climbs out of the shrubbery, and looks at the person seemly speaking to him. He has dirt, grass, sticks, and various plant foliage haphazardly located around his face, clothing, and hair. This little guy has been climbing around in the shrubs for a while.
He has a turtle in his left hand that seems to be running in mid air. The turtle is common enough. It has yellow spot dotting its body, and a very strong desire to get back down to the ground.
The boy moves to a distance of about 10 feet, and gives the creature looking at him a good long look.
After running across Jiminy in the halls and confirming (with some relief) that Ephebe was alright despite her abrupt disappearance, Fei continues on to the second part of his somewhat unscripted morning - delivering the 'referral' note she gave him to Mrs. Sunwake.
He proceeds to the gymnasium, thinking that would be a good place to start.
A petite slender female, ostensibly human, looking about seventeen years old was watching him as he climbed out of the shrubbery. Her clothing was practical and full of pockets, T-shirt and cargo pants with a jacket tucked into the strap of the messenger bag slung over her shoulder. The only thing that seemed a little out of place was the gun belt worn comfortably on her hips. Her shoulder length brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail except for two strands that persisted in breaking free and framed her heart shaped face. Her violet eyes were filled with curiosity as she watched him examine the turtle.
The boy takes the turtle back to the shrubbery, and takes several tentative steps toward the human female. When he is within arm’s reach he makes a quick stab for one of the pockets. He makes no effort to hide the fact he wants to know if there is anything interesting inside the hiding spot.
While the gymnasium wasn't empty - a game of dodgeball was in full swing as several kids tried to blow off some steam - Mrs Sunwake wasn't around.
Fei thinks for a moment, then makes his way to the Administrative Offices and asks the attendant to forward the note to Mrs. Sunwake's office mailbox.
She gently blocks his hand. "Whoops, not that pocket. It's got extra bullets in it," she said, lifting the flap and showing him a pocket full of what looks like tiny glass vials full of glowing blue liquid and then fastening the flap again. "I think you'll like what's in this pocket better," she said reaching into a different pocket and pulling out a taffy which she solemnly handed to him. "I hope you like banana. It's the only flavor I have left. Cause it's my least favorite," she admitted with a self-deprecating grin.
While the gymnasium wasn't empty - a game of dodgeball was in full swing as several kids tried to blow off some steam - Mrs Sunwake wasn't around.Fei thinks for a moment, then makes his way to the Administrative Offices and asks the attendant to forward the note to Mrs. Sunwake's office mailbox.
** spoiler omitted **
Once she felt like she could reasonably walk on stone without forgetting and letting herself sink in she headed to the office to check in. She left a note for Ryo letting him know what she found since he seemed to be up to his neck in administrative difficulties. And then checked her own messages. She looked thoughtfully at the note from Ephebe. Looked like she'd have to track down this Fei.
She left the office and started to ask around as to where she could find Fei.
"You got a new friend, Phebes?" Taron says as he gets names to make sure no get's left behind on the island.
"You got a new friend, Phebes?" Taron says as he gets names to make sure no get's left behind on the island.
"It would seem so. Or at least a curious admirer," she said with a laugh.
"C'mon, I'm getting impatient! Are we going or not?" she asked, barely able to contain her excitement.
He looks at the item that is offered with a look of curiosity for a few second, than gives the item a quick sniff.
He pulls back from the item with a befuddled look on his face. You can see that he concluded something was wrong with the time.
After only a few seconds of thought the little boy simply reaches out into the air, and pulls a perfectly developed banana out of the nothingness.
He seems happy with what he has produced, and offers item to the female.
He looks at the item that is offered with a look of curiosity for a few second, than gives the item a quick sniff.
He pulls back from the item with a befuddled look on his face. You can see that he concluded something was wrong with the time.
After only a few seconds of thought the little boy simply reaches out into the air, and pulls a perfectly developed banana out of the nothingness.
He seems happy with what he has produced, and offers item to the female.
She laughed delightedly.
"Well, I can't say I blame you. Real bananas do taste much better than banana taffy. That's a cool ability. Thank you," she adds, taking the offered fruit.
Once she felt like she could reasonably walk on stone without forgetting and letting herself sink in she headed to the office to check in. She left a note for Ryo letting him know what she found since he seemed to be up to his neck in administrative difficulties. And then checked her own messages. She looked thoughtfully at the note from Ephebe. Looked like she'd have to track down this Fei.
She left the office and started to ask around as to where she could find Fei.
One of the porters from the Materials and Supplies building overhears her questioning one of the other teachers.
"Ma'am? If you're looking for that Fei lad, he's got a cot in the Materials warehouse. Saw him go in there not fifteen minutes ago to help out with the topstock."
One of the porters from the Materials and Supplies building overhears her questioning one of the other teachers.
"Ma'am? If you're looking for that Fei lad, he's got a cot in the Materials warehouse. Saw him go in there not fifteen minutes ago to help out with the topstock."
"Thanks. I'll look there."
She headed for the warehouse, peering in and looking around.
"Fei? You around?"
"I think I still have everything I need on me...unless we're headed to another plane, I can summon H'Tor if he's needed. Besides, he's having too much fun with his own 'friend' now..."
"C'mon, I'm getting impatient! Are we going or not?" she asked, barely able to contain her excitement.
"All right all ready, don't get your feathers in a bunch!" Taron says as he gets the last name written down. "Krays, we are going to another plane, so if you want H'tor to come along, you'd best call for him now." He steps onto a path and pulls a necklace out from under his shirt. Hanging from the necklace is a plain brass key. He concentrates on it until it seems to glow, them he mimes putting it into a keyhole and turning it. He motions for everyone to go down the path, and those who step behind him gasp as they see a island beach with white sands and crystal clear water.
"I think I still have everything I need on me...unless we're headed to another plane, I can summon H'Tor if he's needed. Besides, he's having too much fun with his own 'friend' now..."
Jiminy rolled his eyes.
"Relax, I'm sure you've got everything you could possibly need. And as you say, H'Tor is thoroughly entertained. Let go a bit and just have fun," he grinned.
Deceptively close, the beach requires a bit of a walk to get through, as the "hallway" to leave Agartha seems quite long. Halfway tot he beach however, things go bad...
There is screaming all around as the "hallway" starts to break up into two large parts, seperating the group of students into two parts. One part holds most of the new students, while the second holds most of Ephebe's famliy and friends.
It is the second group that finds itself in a desolate wasteland. A volcano almost seems to announce their arrival as it erupts miles away.
One of the porters from the Materials and Supplies building overhears her questioning one of the other teachers.
"Ma'am? If you're looking for that Fei lad, he's got a cot in the Materials warehouse. Saw him go in there not fifteen minutes ago to help out with the topstock."
"Thanks. I'll look there."
She headed for the warehouse, peering in and looking around.
"Fei? You around?"
"I...am," a voice calls out from further in the warehouse...and higher up.
She steps in and sees the young man from the Healing pavilion who was talking with Spin. He is currently moving a box from a receiving palette to the top levels of the warehouse's storage shelves, about 40 feet overhead - by climbing the supports.
He stops in mid ascent.
"Good morning, Instructor," he says, bowing his head respectfully.
Taron falls to his knees as the transportation magic fades away and heaves up part of his breakfast. Kam kneels down to make sure he's okay.
"What happened?" He asks the group.
Tom screams and seems to be panicking. The eruption off in the distance is the focus of his concern. He starts looking for something to hide behind.
Taron clutches his ears as Tom screams.
"Someone.. calm him down!" He gasps.
Ephebe kneels down and hugs Tom.
"Shhh. It's okay. I'll protect you. Here," she said, casting a quick protection from fire spell on him. "There now, I just put a spell on you to protect you from fire. So you don't have to worry. Plus that volcano is still a long ways away. You're alright. Just calm down."
"Fei? You around?"
"I...am," a voice calls out from further in the warehouse...and higher up.
She steps in and sees the young man from the Healing pavilion who was talking with Spin. He is currently moving a box from a receiving palette to the top levels of the warehouse's storage shelves, about 40 feet overhead - by climbing the supports.
He stops in mid ascent.
"Good morning, Instructor," he says, bowing his head respectfully.
"Good morning, Fei. I'm here to talk to you about scheduling some instruction time," she said holding up the letter.
She effortlessly climbed up after him until she was on an even level about one shelf over.
"There, that's better. This isn't really the kind of conversation that should be shouted across a warehouse I'm guessing."
"No. Although I could go into semantics, that's pretty much the gist of it. Anyway, I got the oozes from a derro. A friend from the war. I probably shouldn't have let him find out about the school, but it couldn't be helped."
Vakkler finds a spoon and starts fishing the leaves out of his tea. "He seems very interested in Avalon, but I'm trying to convince him to go elsewhere. So if you see him around here--he's hard to miss. Big white beard, wild hair, gray skin. Just don't make him too welcome, and let me know about it."
He taps the spoon on the table, dislodging a few stubborn greens. "And be discreet about this. This isn't my fault, but the Headmaster might see it differently."
Sinh stirs his tea slowly, considering, "Certainly, Master. If I run across the fellow, just how 'energetically' should I be in trying to convince him to leave?"
"Fei? You around?"
"I...am," a voice calls out from further in the warehouse...and higher up.
She steps in and sees the young man from the Healing pavilion who was talking with Spin. He is currently moving a box from a receiving palette to the top levels of the warehouse's storage shelves, about 40 feet overhead - by climbing the supports.
He stops in mid ascent.
"Good morning, Instructor," he says, bowing his head respectfully."Good morning, Fei. I'm here to talk to you about scheduling some instruction time," she said holding up the letter.
She effortlessly climbed up after him until she was on an even level about one shelf over.
"There, that's better. This isn't really the kind of conversation that should be shouted across a warehouse I'm guessing."
As she climbed up to his level before he could come down to her, he finished shelving the box he was carrying.
"No, Instructor, it should probably not," he replies with a nod. "Your daughter...strongly recommended that I seek your counsel regarding what she discovered about my mind."
"My order...sent me here to improve my meditative focus, so I would not...manifest that particular ability anymore. Ephebe has suggested to me that a more 'head-on' approach to mastering the ability could be better in the long-term. The...unique...nature of this school would allow for a safe exploration of that option."
When he says 'head-on', Fei slowly makes quotation marks with his hands - and letting go of the support he was holding on to. He now braces himself with his legs around a lower support to keep from falling.
As she climbed up to his level before he could come down to her, he finished shelving the box he was carrying.
"No, Instructor, it should probably not," he replies with a nod. "Your daughter...strongly recommended that I seek your counsel regarding what she discovered about my mind."
"My order...sent me here to improve my meditative focus, so I would not...manifest that particular ability anymore. Ephebe has suggested to me that a more 'head-on' approach to mastering the ability could be better in the long-term. The...unique...nature of this school would allow for a safe exploration of that option."
When he says 'head-on', Fei slowly makes quotation marks with his hands - and letting go of the support he was holding on to. He now braces himself with his legs around a lower support to keep from falling.
"Hmmm...yeah the problem with the let's just hope it goes away approach is that it usually doesn't work. At some point this ability will come out with disastrous results unless you can master it. It's moments like this that I wish Master Quo were still alive, although in all fairness I suppose 120 was a rather advanced age for a human. He would have been a much better teacher for you than I, but since I'm the last of my order I'll just have to do. Still, the next time we go to the temple for a weekend you should come along. There are many texts and illustrations of various techniques carved into the walls of the pyramid, and I think that studying them might be helpful for you."
"In the meantime, I suggest we set up a regular meeting time for private lessons. When do you have a free period?"
"Hmmm...yeah the problem with the let's just hope it goes away approach is that it usually doesn't work. At some point this ability will come out with disastrous results unless you can master it. It's moments like this that I wish Master Quo were still alive, although in all fairness I suppose 120 was a rather advanced age for a human. He would have been a much better teacher for you than I, but since I'm the last of my order I'll just have to do. Still, the next time we go to the temple for a weekend you should come along. There are many texts and illustrations of various techniques carved into the walls of the pyramid, and I think that studying them might be helpful for you."
"In the meantime, I suggest we set up a regular meeting time for private lessons. When do you have a free period?"
Fei nods.
"The only periods that I do not currently have a class are 4th period lunch and my Work Study here in the warehouse at the end of the day."
"Well then, it looks like fourth period will have to be it. But not in the gymnasium. I have a feeling these sessions have too much potential for destruction. I'll have a practice room made in the basement. With extra shielding. That should keep things sufficiently contained."
Is taken in by the beauty of the scene, only to have it ruined by screaming...he gives Taron a 'What's with this kid' look.
"Well then, it looks like fourth period will have to be it. But not in the gymnasium. I have a feeling these sessions have too much potential for destruction. I'll have a practice room made in the basement. With extra shielding. That should keep things sufficiently contained."
"I would be more at ease with such precautions, thank you," he replies.
"You will...notify me when these preparations have been made?"
Sinh stirs his tea slowly, considering, "Certainly, Master. If I run across the fellow, just how 'energetically' should I be in trying to convince him to leave?""No. Although I could go into semantics, that's pretty much the gist of it. Anyway, I got the oozes from a derro. A friend from the war. I probably shouldn't have let him find out about the school, but it couldn't be helped."
Vakkler finds a spoon and starts fishing the leaves out of his tea. "He seems very interested in Avalon, but I'm trying to convince him to go elsewhere. So if you see him around here--he's hard to miss. Big white beard, wild hair, gray skin. Just don't make him too welcome, and let me know about it."
He taps the spoon on the table, dislodging a few stubborn greens. "And be discreet about this. This isn't my fault, but the Headmaster might see it differently."
"As 'energetically' as you can risk. He's formidable in both melee confrontations and magic ones, so tread lightly."