[Safeholme] A Student Renewed

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Mr. Blackbird Lore
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Re: [Safeholme] A Student Renewed

Post by Mr. Blackbird Lore »

“Well there is a very reliable average among humans,” he replied to her explanation of Peak Optimum Containment. “It’s also a consistent value when that person is the… target of necromancy.” He sighed. “But that’s not how I use it.”

At the triclops suggestion, Johann balked, eyes wide. “What? Ttttest it? Test it how!?”

Until that moment, he had been under the impression that this was a purely scholastic endeavor; the practicals would come later. He was also terrified of exposing his disabilities and weaknesses to another person— especially Manon. Drysi he trusted. They had a couple classes together, and she had hugged him in the woods after their near death experience.

Manon, on the other hand, was a bully. She was always making fun of him and teasing him. Yes, she had helped in their fight— had apparently been the key to victory, even— but that didn’t mean she was good or kind.

“I donnnnnnt want ttttt- ttttt-“ he sighed sadly, and gave up on the sentence and any hope of keeping this contained. Drysi was like a bicycle. Unmoved, she was easy to knock off balance. But when she had momentum, disturbing her course was incredibly difficult.
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Kokuten
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Re: [Safeholme] A Student Renewed

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A pair of thin, delicate hands scooped up Johann's, thumbs pressing into his palms. Drysi could sense she was losing him to his defense mechanisms. He felt her ensorceling gaze looking up at him under that gold-threaded shawl of curly hair.

"Johann," her words started impatient, but she reeled herself in before she could break out into a tantrum, "you aren't going to have many opportunities to practice these spells. That's the only part of the process we're missing here. Application."

The look she gave him became a little more firm. "I know you're anxious, but think of the possibilities."

Then, her fortitude began to waver as she pressed further, "I'll go with you. Manon's obnoxious, but she can't ignore both of us."
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Mr. Blackbird Lore
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Re: [Safeholme] A Student Renewed

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His shoulders tensed and his eye found a very interesting pattern at the bottom of the desk leg when she took his hands. This was all so much. But he did listen. He knew he needed practice, but he wasn't ready. Besides, that wasn't his real issue with approaching Manon.

"She's mean." The words came out barely above a whisper. "She'll jjjjust make fun of me."

It was easy for him to picture. "Oho! The little necromancer is looking LIVELY today! And a book! For me? Mon ami, but I must refuse for I am already spoken for!" So stupid. And she would think he was stupid-- but I'm not! he shouted in his head. He needed help. He knew it. There were obstacles that he had to overcome, and they were best tackled with support.

Johann didn't want the clown's help.
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Kokuten
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Re: [Safeholme] A Student Renewed

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The look on Drysi's face seemed to flash between annoyance and disbelief, and she let go of one of his hands to press her nail into her finger. She was trying her best not to swing into full anger and frustration, because otherwise she would just be flying off the handle. Johann didn't deserve that, he hadn't done anything to deserve that, but she had set her mind on this and it was getting hard not to be impatient with being told no.

Her other hand loosed itself and went up to her face as she grit her teeth.

"You're telling me..." said Drysi through her fangs, her anger bubbling, "... that you can go toe-to-toe with a demonic, child-possessing, blood-sucking banshee and stand-up to a black-magic-wielding, murderous druid monster..."

Then, she snapped, throwing her arms up in the air, "... BUT THE GIRL WHO WEARS A CLOWN NOSE TO CLASS IS WHERE WE DRAW THE LINE."

The triclops' limbs curled back in like talons, tears forming at the edges of her eyes in the wake of her outburst. The memories of that night came back to her too quickly, and she was starting to swing back the other way. If she didn't master this pendulation, she'd be weeping again. Willow wasn't here to help her master herself, but she also couldn't rely on that permanently, either.

"No." Drysi slapped her cheeks, and sat back down at the desk. "It's fine. We're fine. We're all fine. Let's focus on the basics. You were... doing..."

She took a breath, calming her momentum, "You were doing very well when we were discussing your spell-book. We can go back to that and focus on the basics."
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Mr. Blackbird Lore
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Re: [Safeholme] A Student Renewed

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With every inflection and leap in volume, Johann flinched. Feelings began to pile up like loose furniture forming a barricade, shielding him from the verbal assault. He receded. This was a stupid idea. I can figure it out on my own. I can make stupid flash cards and study alone-- properly!-- like a great mage would. Should.

The necromancer was timidly reaching for the Abridged Necronomicon when Drysi softened. His rational mind finally kicked down the door that his emotions had been barricading, scruffed them by the neck, and dragged them back to reality. Yes, she's mean, but she's not a villain. Probably. So, get up. If you can phylactery a banshee and stand up to an ancient druid, you can tell a clown to be nice. She might be an all-powerful clown that could erase your existence with an explosion of confetti, but maybe she doesn't know that. Yet.

Johann stood up so quickly, he almost lost his balance. The dark spellbook was clutched to his chest. "No. Yyyyyou're right. I can do this. I nnnnneed to do this."
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Kokuten
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Re: [Safeholme] A Student Renewed

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A small flush of red filled Drysi's face as she watched Johann pull himself out of his own shell to make a difficult choice. A bit of pride welled in her chest that gave her a happy, heady feeling. It also helped she was getting what she wanted in the end.

Wham! Her spindly fingers slapped on the desk, with much less force than was expected of her exuberance. The sound seemed to shock her as much as it may have shocked Johann.

"YES! Yes. I knew you had it in you. Let's clean this up," Drysi moved her hands about, directing the paper and books into an orderly fashion. The rest of the stationery went into her bag, and out came her mask, which she snapped over her face.

Drysi opened the door, and looked back at him, "Ready? Manon is probably still down the hall next to our room."
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Re: [Safeholme] A Student Renewed

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Drysi's thrill inspired a sheepish smile on Johann's face, and it lingered the whole time he helped her clean up. As a final precaution, he looked himself over. He was dressed reasonably; hands confirmed that his turban was secure.

"Ready."

The walk was short and rather quiet, as they each considered the path ahead, and the many questions buzzing in their minds. Outside Manon's door, the German turned to the Welsh. "How do we askkkkk?"
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Kokuten
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Re: [Safeholme] A Student Renewed

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A look of shock whipped Johann's way, launched from Drysi's face. It was a look that accused the boy of not having a plan first, despite it being her idea. What became a small shock, quickly escalated into panic, as Drysi wracked her mind for a graceful way to ask someone to effectively be a battery.

"I am conducting an experiment... No..."

Drysi's face scrunched up.

"I need your power for practice? Too direct..."

The triclops began to spiral.

"Give me your energy? Oh bloody hell!"

Pendulating into anger, Drysi suddenly knocked on the door a bit too hard, and looked at Johann like it was his fault.

The silence that followed was abated by the sound of bare foot steps. The two anxious mages heard the door click, and then open inward to reveal Manon Laframboise, in her puffy, polka-dot pajamas already. She looked bereft of energy, tired.

Manon made no initial inquiry as to what they wanted, but as she stood holding the door, her eyes swapped between the two of them. Then, a lop-sided, wolfish smile curled on her face, and she leaned on to the door-frame staring at Johann.

"Must you parade your conquests at my door, mon ami? You are so cruel." Manon's playful chatter belied the colorlessness of her appearance, "First Willow, now Drysi."
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Mr. Blackbird Lore
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Re: [Safeholme] A Student Renewed

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"I-- no, look..." Johann flailed physically and verbally at Drysi's alarm, and so he was already properly flustered by the time Manon opened the door and began her assault.

Gott, just as I feared. He began retreating as color flooded his face, an equal mixture of frustration and embarrassment. His gaze sank to the hallway carpet, shoulders hunched, and he almost walked away. Why couldn't she just leave him alone? Why did she have to be so gross like that? He'd never even kissed a girl. And the word conquest but an icky taste in his mouth. Anger surged in his gut like bile.

"You need to stop." Johann's lone eye shot up and met Manon's gleaming pair. An accusatory finger stabbed in her direction. "I don't like it, and it makes me want-- wannnnnt to--" He faltered at the end, his discomfort with his own feelings body slamming the confidence that a brief shot of fury had given him. Determined to finish strong, he added, "Just stop. Ppppplease."

He could have died just then. Just curled up and died. Of all the times for his stutter to manifest, did have to be RIGHT THEN? RIGHT as he was trying to be STRONG?
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Kokuten
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Re: [Safeholme] A Student Renewed

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Drysi was wide eyed at Johann's sudden outburst. Unlike him, she had found the jibe kind of funny, but had forgotten that it was the sort of thing that made him uncomfortable. For once her in-born emotional instability assisted her in bouncing from damning, gut-wrenching laughter, to convincing, gut-wrenching disgust in Manon's direction.

On the receiving end, Manon had taken the response in a way similar to the last time Johann had stood up to her. She looked confused, but this time she had no quick response to feel out her audience. They could see some words forming in her mind, but dying in her throat. Instead, she just rubbed her elbows and looked past them.

"You must be here to see Diedre," surmised the former clown, pushing the door open further, revealing Manon's roommate, Diedre McCubbin, curled over her desk, struggling with her homework.

From their angle, they could see the room was evenly divided. On Diedre's side there were many stones and gems in positions of decoration and study. Shelves adorned the wall, arrayed with chisels, hammers, brushes and finer tools for observing and cutting stones. A brilliant geode was presented on Diedre's desk with great care.

On what they could discern as Manon's side, there were no adornments. Just evidence that someone once lived there. Several boxes were stacked low at the foot of her bed.

"Ach, I've no time, Mr. Caxton's homework is gwan' be tha' death a'me!" Diedre waved her hand, eyes still on the paper.
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