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A Magician Never Reveals Her Secrets (Quaggan!)

Started by Eckhart_Von_Musel, April 10, 2018, 11:42:30 AM

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Eckhart_Von_Musel

It used to be only on rare occasions that Classroom 818-b actually had students inside. The room, which was located in a dead end corridor near the library, was more of an abandoned coat room than it was a place of learning. Dusty old robes lay haphazardly across the unoccupied desks. Ancient staves leaned against the walls, sparking dangerously. Strange, half broken devices were strewn across the the floor, some still whirring and clicking rhythmically. The classroom was notorious for being a mess, and many a teacher had threatened to make students clean it they misbehaved.

Naturally, this meant that Classroom 818-b was the perfect place for Professor Summers to hold her prestidigitation class- or at least, it was according to the Magistarium. Getting the room clean enough that students had room to sit down had been a chore, as had been clearing enough space for the small stage at the front of the room. She had somehow managed to pull it off in time however, finishing mere minutes before her first class was to begin. Smiling to herself, the magician sat at her desk and waited for students to arrive...

There were not nearly as many students as Summers would have liked. Those who arrived didn't seem particulary enthuesiastic either- the first child to arrive barely mumbled hello before taking a seat in the back of the class and falling asleep. The small number of students who followed weren't much better, most seeming confused as to what the class was even about. Summers sighed quietly, a bemused smile on her lips. "Alright Dorothy, let's show these kids some real magic." 

After she was sure that all the students had arrived, Professor Summers stood up and clapped her hands together. "Ladies and gentlemen!" she exclaimed as she strut onto the stage. "Boys and girls! Those who believe, and those of little faith! Welcome to prestidigitation class!" The magician beamed at her audience. "Now, I should start by going over the class curriculum and expectations, but that's boring- I'd rather start by showing you what this is all about." She scanned the room. "For my first trick, I'll need a volunteer..."

quaggan

 "No one is volunteering" Vesyll grumbled.

"If you want to see what happens, why won't you volunteer?" Ria' suggested, in whisper.

"Oh, come on" the gnome groaned, rolling her eyes. "I wouldn't be able to see the demonstration if I'm participating."

No one raised their hand, and the professor didn't call anyone up. Vesyll's patience ran out, as she turned back towards the vain mage. "I dare you to volunteer."

"What will I get from it?" he whispered back. He had to look after his own interests, after all - what if the demonstration crumples his robe?!

"I know a supplier who can get you Thanati silk."

Ria's hand went up before she even finished whispering.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Dorothy looked out at her audience intently, growing less hopeful by the second. Students shifted uncomfortably in their seats, silently daring eachother to raise their hands. A few whispered quietly amongst themselves, ignoring the professor entirely. The boy who'd fallen asleep in the back of the room began to snore. "Tough crowd." the magician thought with a grimace. "I suppose I'll just have to- Oh!"

Just as Dorothy was about to pick a student at random, a very fancy looking boy with elven features raised his hand. The magician clapped her hands together excitedly. "Perfect! Step right up to the stage, young man!"

As the student took to the stage, Dorothy pulled the sheet off of the table behind them, revealing a pitcher of water and six silver chalices. She gestured for the boy to pick one of the cups, and made a big show of pouring water into the one he selected. "The goal of this trick," she said as she picked up the chalice from the table and swirled it in her hand. "Is to show you all just how easy it is to manipulate water without magic." Reaching into her dress pocket, she pulled out a large umbrella and handed it to the boy. "You may need this, you're gonna get wet."

Now looking rather nervous, the boy would attempt to unfurl the umbrella- only for the rest of the class to start laughing at him as the umbrella's canopy slid off of it's frame. All eyes were on him at this point, and even the sleeping child had opened one eye so as to watch what happened next. "Damn!" the professor exclaimed as the laughter died down. "Well, so much for that! Looks like we won't be using water after all."

Before the boy could object, the magician tapped on the chalice twice with her wand and dumped it's contents on his head. "Annnd... Presto!" she said as the boy was covered in a cloud of glitter. "The water was boring anyway." The classroom broke into applause, and Dorothy gave her volunteer a thumbs up. "You may return to your seat now."

quaggan

 While Ria' acknowledged that it was possible to manipulate water without magic - like pouring something into a cup, he was curious why would it be taught at Wyrdwood Academy? It was like a master smith teaching her apprentice how to embroider: while certainly a curiosity and considered worth learning by some, it wasn't what he expected.

But all such philosophical thoughts disappeared from his head when the professor mentioned getting wet. He didn't sign up for this! His robe was only to be dry-cleaned! If something happened to it, would the Academy reimburse him the cost? He opened his mouth to protest, but was shut up by an umbrella. Thank goodness - his magical shielding was not good enough to block water! Although this colour didn't agree with his complexion...

A most undignified squeak escaped his throat as the professor unceremoniously poured the water onto him. "Not my hair!" he cried, bringing his hands up in a vain attempt to shield himself. To his surprise, nothing wet happened. He brought his hands down and looked: to his surprise, they were covered in glitter.

Now, this was something he could get behind!

"Heck yeah!" he called, spinning around and trailing some glitter behind, like a pixie. "Now I shine like the star I am! Woo! Gah- what- ow! Fuck!"

Some glitter got into his eye.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

"Shit."

Her initial amusement at the boy's enthusiasm turned to dread as he accidentially got glitter in his eyes. The rest of the class began to snicker, and a pit formed in her stomach. "This is a disaster!" she thought, a bead of sweat rolling down her neck. "My first class will be ruined!"

Taking a tenative step forward, Dorothy would place her hand on the boy's shoulder. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly. "It was an accident, I didn't mean to..."

quaggan

  "Noo! Not my eyes!" he cried out, falling to his knees and covering his face, against the common sense of 'if a foreign body is irritating your eye, do not rub it in!'. "They're too pretty to be damaged by glitter! Fia said they're more enchanting than a sunriiiiiiiiseeeee!"

"I said no such thing!" an indignant voice came from the back of the class. "And calm your tits, for Kia's sake! Any apprentice can cast a spell to remove this stuff!"

"My tits shall not be calmed!" he yelled, shaking her fist in her rough direction. "What if there's permanent damage?! I don't want my eyes to turn red! They won't fit my new roooobeeee!"

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Professor Summers watched the spectacle unfold, eyebrows raised. "Good god, really?" She glanced towards the rest of the class anxiously, and saw something that made her heart sink- a few student had stood up and were beginning to leave.

"No no no!" Dorothy thought, panicking. "The other teachers already think I'm a joke! I can't let the students think so too!"

"How is that boy in the back sleeping through all of this?" a smaller, more easially distracted thought asked. "Is he wearing earplugs?"

Eye twitching, she turned to the sparkling boy. She crossed her arms. "To your seat, now." the magician said crossly. "See me after class."

quaggan

 Looks like all this crying managed to dislodge the glitter from his eyes - or perhaps the glitter itself realized that it was about to damage his perfect beauty, and left immediately rather than commit such a horrific act. He smoothed out the wrinkles on his robe automatically. Did all this crying make his eyes red? He was about to ask one of the classmates if they had a mirror, but the professor spoke first.

Most students his age would probably snicker and make a rude joke. But his mind was far from this immaturity! Unlike most teachers who wore boring robes, Professor Summers was dressed in quite a snazzy outfit. Clearly, she had a sense of fashion, and decided to invite him for a nice professional discussion about style and fashion. How thoughtful!

"It would be my pleasure!" he exclaimed. "Now then, do you need me for anything else, Professor, or should I come back to my seat?"

Eckhart_Von_Musel

"Your seat." Professor Summers said, eyes flashing dangerously. "Now." Stifled laughter could be heard from the rest of the class, but Dorothy paid it no attention. "You've done enough already."

quaggan

 Proud of his achievements, Ria' power walked back to his seat. Some of the glitter began to fall off to the floor, to his disappointment. It would be nice if it stayed - maybe he could ask the Professor to douse him again after the lesson. He would close his eyes this time, of course.

"So, about that Thanati silk-"

"Later" Vesyll shot him down. "Don't worry, I will deliver. You definitely... exceeded my expectations."

Ria' puffed up proudly and sat down.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

The rest of class passed without further incident, but the boy's dramatic outbreak had soured Dorothy's mood. Rianharr Thalance, as the attendence list revealed his name to be, had effectively ruined her first class. Nobody wpuld remember Dorothy's trick- just how he had reacted to it.

As the bell rang and students slowly filed out of the room, Dorothy sat at her desk with her legs crossed. She looked at the two sudents who remained- the drama queen, and the sleeping boy. She sighed, shaking her head at Thalance. "I suppose you have an explination for your behavior in class today?"

quaggan

 His behaviour? Ria blinked. Did she mean him volunteering? Well, it was true that he was no nerd and only spoke up in class to chastise a particularly unfortunate choice of clothing of a fellow student or a professor. Today's events only came about because Vesyll promised him Thanati silk - and he still had to catch up with her. But it would be rude to leave Professor Summers now, and if his experience with people taught him anything, it was that honesty was never appreciated. Better to give an answer less direct than 'my friend dared me to'.

"I am a star, Professor! It is my duty to shine in the spotlight - or, in this case, glitter in the spotlight!" he exclaimed, striking a pose. "It was my duty to volunteer and be a good example to others!"

Eckhart_Von_Musel

"I mean the hissy-fit you threw!" Professor Summers snapped, her left eye twitching. Realizing she'd risen her voice, she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Look. It's hard enough getting the other teachers to take me seriously, and now all that students will remember about my very first class is me getting glitter in your eye." 

The sound of muffled snores drew Dorothy's attention to the back of the room. "Incredible." she murmured. "How can one person sleep through so much?"

Shaking her head, she pointed to the sleeping boy. "Wake him up." she instructed Ria. "Then I want you two to make this room sparkle- no magic, only elbow grease."

quaggan

 That wasn't a hissy fit! He had all the right in the world to react to his lovely eyes being threatened. He opened his mouth to protest, but his gaze fell on the sleeping boy. He didn't want to wake up the poor child - even if his voice was one the angels could envy. That is, if the boy even existed to begin with. It wouldn't be out of place for Wyrdwood to adorn one of its classrooms with a lifelike homunculus, or a charming illusion of a sleeping student. Just a few days ago, he was tricked by some older students into hitting on a lady who turned out to be a golem! He couldn't trust anything here!

The Professor demanded that he wakes up the poor boy and now he had a dilemma: what should he complain about first? Her cavalier attitude towards student safety (most of all, his safety)? The demand to interrupt the peaceful sleep of this poor child who probably wasted his youth studying hard night after night? Fortunately, soon a third option presented itself and he took it with relief.

"Elbow grease? Well excuse me, Professor, my elbows are not greasy!" he assured her with genuine indignation. He even rolled up his sleeve to demonstrate.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Professor Summers looked at Ria, eyes twitching. "You... you..." she sputtered angrily, fuming. After a few seconds she threw back her head. "Ugh, I don't have time for this nonsense!" With a huff, she strode towards the sleeping boy...

***

Arthur ran through the halls of his house, gasping for breath. His father's necktie had decided it wanted to be worn, and the pillowheaded boy was the nearest human it could victimize. Not yet willing to wear adult clothes, the boy had fled. "Gotta... get away..." the boy mumbled breathily as he ran. "I can't..  liook fancy yet..."

Hey! Hey, wake up?"

A sharp poke in his arm caused Arthur to stir from his rest. He looked around groggily. "Wha... wha's goin' on?" 

Professor Summers sighed, lowering her wand. "You're in detention for sleeping through my class." she said, clearly exasperated. Turning on her heel, she began to walk to her desk. "Get to work you two! I want this room spotless!"

quaggan

 The poor boy, he didn't do anything to deserve detention. Then again, Ria' didn't think he was at fault either - he even volunteered, for Kia's sake! Was it one of those tall poppy scenarios? Well, at least he'll be getting some Thanati silk out of it, provided he could get ahold of Vesyll.

And now he was supposed to... clean. At least he'll be trying something new - he never had to do it in his life, that's what servants were for. What was it even about? How was he supposed to go about it? The place -looked- clean to him... well, maybe the sleeping boy would have a better idea.

He looked at the pillow-bearer. Etiquette demanded introductions, especially since they were about to work together. "I'm Ria' Thalance. I don't suppose you know anything about how to clean?"

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Arthur looked around the room slowly, blinking groggily. He was supposed to clean? It seemed absurd, but at least it was better than the punishments that new hag professor doled out. Last time he fell asleep in Magistrix Fen-Breath's class he was turned into a sloth for the rest of the day!

The boy looked at his companion- the fancy looking boy from the beginning of class. "Arthur..." he mumbled. "Arthur Clearwater..." Stretching his arms with a yawn, the pillowheaded boy squinted. "Uhm... Back at home we had servants do the cleaning... Do we need, like, brooms and stuff?"

quaggan

 "No, brooms are for flying. I'm pretty sure" Ria assured him. One of his friends ordered a spiffy outfit for flying on a broom - she liked skirts, but didn't like the idea of everyone below getting to see her underwear. Now that he thought about it, he frequently saw staff in his father's mansion carrying brooms. Was it how they got fresh food from the market so quickly? How clever of them!

Eckhart_Von_Musel

"Oh.... right...." Arthur said, sounding unsure of himself. He had always assumed that the brooms his family's servants used were for cleaning, but now that he thought about it... "Yeah. My house has a high ceiling, the brooms must be how they dust up high!" he said. The boy's eyes suddely lit up. "Oh! A duster! We need one of those feather duster things!"

quaggan

 That was an amazing idea! Feathers would go lovely with his robe! "Brilliant!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands. Of course, he hadn't the faintest idea of how to use it - his father always said that it was ungentlemanly and unbecoming of a noble to leer at serving girls, so Ria' usually didn't give them a second glance. But how hard using a feather duster could be?

Of course, finding one should be the first step. Ria' looked around, his gaze falling on the cupboards in the back of the class. He could check there!

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