Lilith, Arcana

Oh dear, that mandrake looks like a perfectly healthy one, if I mess this up, if I accidentally speed up the growth of that thing, I'm going to have a very bad day, as will everyone else. Good thing Arcana's doing all the digging, and I made my point very clear.

Lilith waited anxiously for Arcana to uproot the mandrake. She has both of her hands on the trigger of the spray can and she would be upside down if for the fact that she was wearing a dress. She watched Arcana dig up the soil until it's enough to pull out the mandrake.

"Ah-alright, um - I'll dig it out on th-the count of three,"

Lilith started to sweat for a bit, I better NOT mess this up.

"One... two... t--three!"

Lilith's palms start to really sweat this time, maybe a second after Arcana said "three," Lilith tried to press the trigger with all her might except the sweat made her slip forward.

Oh crap.

Noting the fact that she's pretty much nervous from the entire situation at hand, and she was actually floating at that point, Lilith's flying magic just stopped at that point and she fell on the trigger, thankfully outputting enough force to push down the trigger and successfully smoking the mandrake.

Lilith sighed in relief followed by a cough, "Alright Arcana, you know what do for the rest of this." And then she let out another cough, but then she got back to floating in the air an inch from the top of the smoking can.

Ajala, Shippo, Arcana (cameo), Lilith (cameo), Gardening Club (cameo)

"Let me dig it out then. You stay for smoking duty," Ajala replied and handed the skittish fox shifter the smoker she had taken with her. Picking up a nearby shovel, she gently pressed her finger against the soil to get a rough measure as to how much she had to dig before taking out chunks of earth bit by bit. While she looked calm and nonchalant on the outside, she could hear her heart beating on the inside, knowing how much trouble a mandrake seedling could cause if it wasn't smoked as soon as it was pulled out.

Hearing noises next to her, the nagini glanced to her side and breathed with relief when she saw the new members successfully pulling out and replanting a mandrake seedling, hiccups aside. It gave her some measure of hope that everything would go on without a hitch.

With enough space for the seedling, she held onto the plant and prepared to pull it out, turning to look at her partner dead in the eye. "Shippo, smoke the mandrake on the count of three." Tightening her grip, the nagini began to count. "One... Two... Three!" she called and heaved the plant out, hoping that the fox shifter's skittishness wouldn't cost them precious hours and the club members' well-being.

Jack, Anais, Wilhelm, Xander

Jack sat on the table, trying to fall asleep. After a few minutes he managed to fall asleep. After a few minutes he woke back up. ‘I have way too much energy to sleep’ He thought as he sat up and rubbed his head. He looked around at his musical club mates and wondered what he could do to pass the time. After thinking for a while he came to a conclusion.

“Let’s go on an adventure!” Jack yelled as he jumped up on the table. He jumped from table to table with large bounds as he worked his way around the room. “Let’s go and find something fun. We can go around the school and play with all the different clubs!” Jack was excited by his idea of going around and seeing all the new faces and people he could befriend. At this point he had forgotten that the music club was meant to play music, he just considered it more a fun place to sleep with people who liked music. He hopped over to his teacher’s table and sat down. “What do you think Mr Teacher man sir?” He asked him with a glimmer of hope and excitement. He jumped up and ran to the door.

“Lets go for a walk!” Jack yelled with a smile, not realising just how much of a puppy he was being.

Shippo, Gardening Club

As the mandrake came out of the ground, Shippo began to have flashback to when poor Kenny was sent to the hospital by one of these nasty things. A rare feeling of righteous fury welled up from within him, and his finger slammed on the trigger, as if pulled by some unseen force. The smoke shot out, choking the cry out of the weed. He held down the trigger just a little longer then necessary before he came out of his shock. Seeing the mandrake quieted, he let out a sigh of relief; this thing wasn't sending anyone to the emergency room today

Arcana (Featuring Lilith, Ajala, Shippo, Nathalia, Fiona (mention))

Arcana wiped the bead of sweat perspiring on her brow away with the back of her free hand, the other was holding the now thoroughly smoked mandrake by it's head-stem. 'Di-d-did she just s-s-s-slip on that can? Ooohmigod.' She thought, looking from Lilith, then to the smoking can, then back at Lilith, her eyes slightly wide in surprise. The mandrake she had unearthed was indeed rather chubby, and would have been really cute (to Arcana, at least) if it wasn't going to scream and figuratively blow their brains up if it was awake.

For now she gently laid it to one side of the empty dirt patch in front of her and dug an appropriately sized hole, her talons ripping through the dirt effortlessly. She then placed the mandrake in the hole and patted topsoil over it, smoothing it out on the top. "I u-um, d-d-do you wanna n-name it?" Arcana asked shyly, her head down and her cheeks flushing slightly.

That was when the "schhhhhh" sound of Shippo's Smoker went off as the kitsune jammed down on the trigger. Arcana glanced over at them and gave a small nod of her head: they had done it too, without any issues.

Nathalia was suddenly there, looking over her students' work. "Good, good, you guys managed that rather deftly, if I do say so myself. All that's left is for one of you to plant it," She said, looking at Ajala and Shippo, "And Ajala, I have you signed up for Carnivorous Plant Duty with Arcana here," She paused to lightly pat Arcana on the shoulder before continuing, "I'll have Fiona let know you when you guys will be going." She gave a smile that encompassed all of them, before making her way to the next group of students.

Lilith, Arcana

Lilith saw Arcana stare at her after slipping on the trigger of the smoking can.

She's probably worried about my safety and whatnot, I guess I should reassure her.

"I'm fine, if that's your concern, don't worry about me, I've survived worse, trust me."

She watched Arcana successfully transplant the mandrake to a new plot of soil.

"I u-um, d-d-do you wanna n-name it?"

"I can't think of a good name from the top of my head, I'd tell you if I did though."

In reality, this question threw Lilith off guard, she didn't see the mandrake as something to be named, just something to be planted with a very dangerous trait. But yet they managed to plant one with (mostly) no hiccups and, judging by the sounding of spraying nearby, others have as well. Was she simply overreacting? It was the first time she has ever encountered one after all, there's also the factor of her abilities which lose control when she's stressed, so maybe it's all justified, maybe it's not.

Lilith turned to Arcana "Err...Forgive me for that small outburst I had earlier, I'm just not used to...dealing with mandrakes, I've only heard the...not so good things about them, so I didn't expect that this would end well...and some other things, so...yeah..."

Gideon, Katsu, Miriel (mentioned), Gardening Club (cameo), Flying Club (cameo)

After swimming his extra lap, Gideon hauled himself out of the pool. He was not tired - water tended to make him feel more energized - but depressed.
"Hey, kid" He turned to see Katsu. "You did well out there today. You'll improve with time." Gideon shrugged, but was secretly pleased by the encouragement. It seemed he was not a total failure after all. At the very least, Miriel couldn't win every time they raced - she wasn't even one of the best swimmers.

He changed quickly and left the building, pausing momentarily to watch a group of winged students circling just in view above the stadium. They seemed so graceful. Gideon wondered if there were any Aurae (wind nymphs) at the academy, and if they could phase into air as he could into water.

Ad he wandered back through the gardens, he noticed a group of students - mainly dryads and other plant-related creatures - tending to some strange plants. He often wished he could phase into the water of a plant, but it would have to be the size of a tree to accommodate his mass. Anyhow, the plant's auras protected them from naiads, with dryads being the only spirits able to enter vegetation (with the possible exception of poltergeists).

In any case, the strange plants intrigued him, and he wandered over to find out more.

The Next Day

---

Simon
Simon staggered out of the final class, seemingly in a daze as he practically fell down the steps into the quad of the campus. Leaning against a tree, he slid down, stretching his upper half over the horse half as his ribs and spine gave loud pops and cracks.
"Oooo...dammit, who puts students through that much hell on the first day of class? So many herbs...I don't even remember half of them..."
Esther, the minotaur teacher of the Arcane Studies and Applications class, had decided that instead of a relaxing day of introductions and explanations of what to expect, that everyone would instead take very detailed notes on the plethora of herbs and plants used in alchemical and arcane concoctions and arcane enchantments. Simon had fallen asleep three times. The centaur laid out in the sun, jacket soaking up the warmth as he relaxed for a bit, watching other students walk by as classes ended. Several waved and called out to him, getting a smile and wave back. Stretching out on the grass, he laid one arm over his eyes, soaking it in as he decided what to do for the rest of the day. Since he practiced at night, he didn't need to meet with the team today. What to do what to do...finally hopping up, Simon opted to head to the gardens. Fiona was doing carnivorous duty, and the two of them got along pretty well. She always gave Simon snippets of information and he helped her with any heavy lifting. The centaur strolled towards the gardens, whistling as he adjusted the saddlebags that served as a backpack over his rump.

---

Fiona

Fiona counted the items in the wheelbarrow. Fertilizer, gloves, a large cooler of raw meat, and several containers of live beetles flitting around. With a satisfied smile, she put her hands on her hips. She had arrived super early to prepare everything for Ajala and Arcana. She was just showing them how to do the job, she wouldn't actually be helping them. So everything had to be perfect. The Dryad sat down on the barrow, legs swinging as she waited for the two girls to show up, humming softly.

Gideon

Gideon left Enchantments class feeling very pleased with himself. The potions he had concocted had been 'surprising' for his first day. He assumed being able to sense the ingredients in the water helped. Carrying on down the corridor, he tugged his map from a pocket and stared intently at it. The Wishing Tree. Supposedly, it granted a single wish for a student. Maybe he could request swimming trophies? Or money?

Pushing open a door, he emerged in the hallway of the boy's dormitories. His room was at the far end, so he had the chance to see every room's door. For several, it was obvious - horseshoe marks indicated centaurs, claw scratches, minor demons. One had a poster labelled ISSAC in huge purple letters, accompanied by an indecent image of a man with a paddle.

Hurrying on quickly, Gideon soon reached his own room, glad to have a few moments rest before he headed for the Gardens and the Tree. The Aquarium gleamed enticingly, and he lost no time in phasing into the water. It was often hard to describe commingling, but the effects were obvious. Ripples, and sometimes miniature waves, would disturb the water as he moved around. Occasionally, a cloud of bubbles would seem to form a limb or a face for a moment, and then dissipate.

Reluctant to leave the water, Gideon swirled his way into the depths of a plastic castle, exploring the fake treasure chests and knights within. Then, the the seaweed forest, diving into its innermost glades.

Finally, he left the water and took on his 'unnatural', human appearance. Fortunately, his clothes changed with him, so there was no need to change. Grabbing a small rucksack, he opened the door and headed down the long corridor. Time to do some exploring.

Andrej

Today was...interesting. Most of the time spent in club and in class...was spent jotting down notes furiously into his notebook. Every word out of his instructors' mouths, every hand gesture, all textbook page references...because, as much as he would hate to admit it, since he had a year of tutoring previously...Andrej was completely lost on half the subjects. He'd need to review, and to study this week.

Finally stepping out of his final class, he held up the fly's cage closer up to his face, and it shook it's tiny fist at him, cursing his name. Mrs. Attenburg forgot this, maybe he should look for her? No, there would be some time for that at the next club meeting...for now, the first day should be spent at his leisure, getting acquainted with the exterior of the academy.

Chink...."Not again" Dagr sighed as yet another key snapped in his hands, at least he had gotten the door open before it broke...this time. He pushed his way into the room with a few not so nice words said under his breath and put the now useless shards of metal on Jack's desk, it was technically his key anyway.Dagr plopped down in the middle of the floor to think on the problem, he not only was out of key's now but so was Jack, that wasn't good because he had already gotten the dang thing remade at least five times sense he had gotten back to Orouboros he didn't want to ask or a new one, it was to much of a hassel to hear the 'be more careful' speech again.

As Dagr thought through the problem at hand his eye's drifted around the room he shared with the child like werewolf, you could almost visibly see the line between the two boy's space's. While Jack's was more furnished it was haphazard with random things lying about on his desk, bed, dresser, and floor, Dagr's side was more or less barren except for a (very) large dresser a fluffy rug where the giant slept, and his desk. The only thing that stood out on Dagr's side of the room was the shelf where he kept his most prized possessions, his true ice sculptures.

Dagr was a wrestler he enjoyed it and that's what most of his time and effort was applied to, but before he had joined the wrestling team he soent most of his time sculpting. He would be lying if he said he hadn't enjoyed it and could say that he had been very good at it, he gave a lot of them to the art club to show off but the best one's, the one's that meant something he kept for himself. They were five exquisitely crafted statues, each one he had fussed over for day's before finally declaring them done. Dagr's eyes went from the statues to the key and then back again a quick idea forming in his head, sure he hadn't done it in a long time but he figured he could pull it off after one or two tries.

With a nod to himself Dagr reached over and scooped the broken key off the table, he looked it over slowly, deliberately, marking every detail he could remember in his head. With a final grunt he sat the key down in front of him cupped his hands in front of his mouth, almost like he was trying to warm them up, took a deep breath in and blew. Instantly the room was filled with the sound of an icy wind as the Jotun blew the true ice into existence. He stopped quickly as he didn't want to much ice to work with and sat to work copying down the key pattern as accurately as possible, he got so caught up in his work that he didn't realize he was humming an old song his father would sing.

Jack, Dagr

As Jack excitedly ran out of his last class for the day, he found himself almost knocking over some passing students. He ran out to the courtyard and looked around. On a day like this, especially after all the work he was meant to do in class, he would usually sleep in the sun. But he had used most of his lessons to catch up on his rest, so in an energetic haze he decided he would check out this tree he had heard about from some people talking in class. Apparently this tree had some kind of power or something, but Jack was more excited in seeing it because he heard it was pretty. Jack was fairly sure he had heard of it before, probably even seen it before, but he had forgotten what it looked like so he was excited to try and find it. After running around aimlessly for a few minutes, he realized he had no idea where to look. In his usual fashion, he decided he would ask Dagr. When Jack needed to know something, needed help or just wanted something, he would always ask his burly friend.

“Dagr is probably in the room” Jack mumbled to himself as he turned and made his way to the room in a bit of a hurry. As he arrived he threw open the door.

“Dag!” He yelled as he burst into the room. “I heard about a tree that is all pretty but I don’t know where it is and I need help to get there and I am confused and I want to see it!” Jack said frantically as he walked over to his large friend. After looking at him curiously for a second, Jack looked down to see the broken key.

“You broke another key.” He said in an amused tone, before realizing that it was his key. “You broke my key too?” Jack asked in a slightly frustrated tone. He put his hands on his hips and looked at his roommate with a scolding glance.

“Bad Dagr” He said as he tried to look serious.

Ajala, Fiona, Arcana (cameo)

Ajala slithered as fast as she could towards the gardens. She had volunteered to help with tending the carnivorous plants and she didn't want to be late, especially not when she had made a point to keep her words every time. The last lesson was something she greatly enjoyed and Pamela had been kind enough to give the class preparation for their next class. Noticing Fiona in the distance, she hastily made her way there and greeted with a panting, "Namaste!" Compared to other hybrids, nagas and naginis weren't known to be the fastest beings on the land and she knew that well. Huffing and looking around, she realized that her partner for the day, Arcana the harpy, hadn't arrived yet, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief. "I thought I was late."

Arcana (Featuring Class 1A (Jurd, Jasper & Mikael, Kevin Trey, Wilhelm Wicki, Helga, Dantus), Cecilia, Aylin, Fiona, Ajala)

---

(The Previous Day)

Arcana was squatting next to the now firmly planted mandrake, trying to think of a good name for it when Lilith spoke back up, apologizing for her earlier outburst and explaining her reasons for being afraid. The young harpy's hands curled into a fists as the fairy kept speaking, her jaw clenching as a frown marred her face. "Th-the mandrake's only w-way to de-defend itself is to scream. It doesn't kn-know if it can tr-trust us, be-because it doesn't kn-know us." She said, her voice quivering emotionally at her stutters. That was when Nathalia ended the club meeting, and she rose to her feet. "Ma-mandrake's leaves can he-heal... There are books in the Li-Library. Th-they'll tell you." With that said, Arcana strode off, hands still balled at her sides.

---

(The Next Day)

Arcana had, had another lovely morning with Cecilia, she thought with a smile as she walked out of their room to head to her first class. This time the unicorn had made croissants and mango smoothies as a light breakfast for the both of them, and had even braided Arcana's hair into a fishtail braid. Arcana felt a blush rise to her cheeks as she thought of her roommate, and her heart pounded slightly in her chest. 'Cecilia is just so... amazing' She let out a whimsical sigh and played with her braid, smiling as she practically skipped down the stairs of the girls' dormitory.

(Classes Start)

She arrived at her classroom, 1A, and took a seat towards the front, next to one of the large arched windows overlooking the grounds. The sight was beautiful, green fields stretching for what appeared to be miles. Her mood was bright, she found herself unable to hide her smile as she wiggled and fidgeted in her seat, waiting for the first teacher to arrive.

She found herself surprised by Jurd (or Master Jurd, as Arcana called him), a rather beefy ogre who taught them Life Science. His voice was gruff, and there would be no fooling around in his class, as proven by when he punished a kobalos who was messing around in the back of class, but he took a hands-on approach to teaching them. He had several microscopes brought out and desks pushed together so they could begin their studies on microorganisms in pairs. Arcana found herself paired up with an extremely moody nymph, but she didn't let the other girl's attitude bring her down. She was too enthralled with the organisms under her microscope, and jotting down notes as Professor Jurd taught them.

Her next class, Physical Education, didn't go nearly as well for Arcana. She was a magnificent flyer, but she lacked the strength to do a proper push-up, and found herself being harried by their instructors, Jasper and Mikael, who sounded remarkably like her grandmother on one of her bad days. They had plenty of praise for the empousai who launched herself up the rope-climb as if she was born to it. All in all, Arcana left the showers after gym with a slightly darker tint to her mood.

Kevin Trey, her Pre-Algebra teacher, brought her mood back up. He wasn't charismatic, or outgoing, but very factual. His eyes had a look to them as if he was staring out into the stars, but his mind was very firmly on earth. He didn't raise his voice, but when he spoke, you knew you should probably listen. Next to her, Arcana saw the same moody nymph from her first class falling asleep on her desk. The young harpy pouted her lips and tried to ignore it. She felt properly offended for Master Trey.

Her next hour was lunch, she realized with a start when Master Trey cantered out of the class room and nearly all of the students milled out behind him. The moody nymph, Aylin she was called, wiped drool off of the side of her face and stood, slinging her bag lackadaisically over her shoulder and shuffling out of class. Arcana really wished the nymph hadn't picked the seat next to her, but her mood wouldn't diminish. 'I get to see Cecilia!' She thought happily, remembering the lunch-date the unicorn had set for them. Arcana skipped out of class, making her way to the cafeteria through the sky.

Cecilia and her met up at a table, trays laden with food, and sat down for lunch. They discussed decorations for their room, laughing when Cecilia suggested painting Dantus' visage on their ceiling to scare them awake every morning. They had a long list by the end of the hour, filled with mostly practical things for Arcana's side of the room. Arcana waved good-bye cheerily to her roommate as she rushed to her next class, making sure not to be late.

It turns out, she shouldn't have worried. She and the rest of the students sat for half of the class waiting for their teacher to show his face. When he finally did he breezed in like nothing was amiss and sat down, leaned back in his chair and plopped his feet up on his desk. Wilhelm Wicki, her Literature teacher, was the single most lax teacher she had ever encountered. He told them, after he got comfortable, to open their books to chapter one and begin reading. He recited most of the pages in his rather husky voice, and then began picking out students to read pages out-loud. Arcana wasn't picked, but her nervousness at possibly having to stand in front of the class and read caused her to hunch her shoulders and sink down in her chair.

Just as Wilhelm Wicki stood to leave, their next teacher burst through before he could get out of the way. A toned, impressive looking valkyrie who announced herself as "Helga" severely ignored Wilhelm Wicki and the wendigo easily brushed it off and sauntered out of class with a casual wave of his hand. She was teaching them Mythological Studies, and announced that they would be starting with Norse. The class was by far Arcana's favorite, and Lady Helga was surprisingly nice despite her entrance. Unfortunately for Arcana she didn't know what would be waiting in store for her next class.

The next class began with their teacher, Dantus the lich, telling them what he expected from each and every one of them in a very grouchy voice. He taught Occult Studies very seriously, and when a kobalos tried to goof off in the back of the class, the poor guy got detention. Arcana huddled into her chair, her book opened to the correct page, and her hand flying across her note book as she avidly took down notes as if her life depended on it. Master Dantus scared the crap out of her.

---

(After Classes)

She felt drained when Master Dantus ended the class, even though he was very thorough and knowledgeable, keeping herself out of his laser-ray vision was what soaked up all of her energy. Twice that same moody nymph, Aylin, blamed Arcana for the noises she made while passing notes back-and-forth with an elf. Twice Arcana was forced to stand and stutter out an apology, before huddling even further back down in her chair.

Arcana bit back tears of frustration, her hands shaking, as she took to the skies. 'What a... what a...' She couldn't even form the thought properly. Every forceful beat of her wings was filled with her dislike for her classmate as she worked out her stress. She couldn't understand why that... that... "That b-bi-bitch." Arcana said through gritted teeth. Why couldn't that bitch leave her alone? She took a deep breath, then let her face relax back to it's normal state. She wouldn't show anger, especially not when she arrived for Carnivorous Plant Duty.

Finally, Arcana touched down lightly next to Ajala and Fiona, her clawed feet sinking into the slightly spongy earth. "I'm s-s-sorry, am I la-late?" She said, looking back and forth between Fiona, sitting on the barrow, and Ajala, whose breathing was somewhat labored. "A-a-are you o-okay, Ajala?" She asked with concern.

Dagr, Jack

Dagr's head shot up as Jack burst into the room, “I heard about a tree that is all pretty but I don’t know where it is and I need help to get there and I am confused and I want to see it!” The jumble of words actually caught Dagr by surprise, he had been concentrating so hard on remaking the key that his mind had kinda just shut down, so it took him a few seconds of sitting there and starring at the young werewolf before he could figure out what he said. By the time he had translated the garbled sentence Jack had moved on to a new subject, the broken key subject. He snorted when Jack scolded him, it was a common joke between the two unlikely friends, and held up the key he had been sculpting. It glowed softly from within like a cold version of dying embers in a fire and was the same light blue as Dagr's skin, even as Dagr held it up for Jack to see the glow slowly diminished before finally vanishing, despite Dagr's comparatively large size it was the exact same size and shape as the broken key that now lay on the floor Dagr had even gone so far as to scrawl Jack's initials onto the end of it in a surprisingly good imitation of the werewolf's handwriting.

After a couple seconds of letting Jack look his work over Dagr waved it in the air as if trying to cool it off before tossing it to his friend, "Yeah sorry about breaking your key" he said after an uncomfortable cough "But I made this new one with true ice". With a satisfied nod to himself, as if what he just said explained everything, the Jotun stood placing his own new key in his pocket and moved to his dresser to start changing into his furs and leathers. It took him several moments to notice Jack's uncomprehending stare, oh thats right I never told him what true ice is he thought before turning around "True ice can only be made by Jotun" he explained " its tied to the Jotun that breaths it, therefore, it's as unbreakable as I am" he finished with a slight smile, it was a poor joke but no one would ever accuse Dagr of having a good sense of humor. After another uncomfortable cough he turned to finish dressing "let's get going to see the fountain or whatever you wanted to go see I still have to do the home work Professor Esther gave us today." he said with fake annoyance.

Ajala, Arcana, Fiona

"I'm fine... I was just in a hurry. Thank you for asking," Ajala replied, somewhat surprised to see Arcana looking so concerned for her well-being. While she didn't have the most cynical view of the students of Ouroboros Academy, she didn't expect too much attention on her, especially not from a new student. Nonetheless, it made her feel somewhat glad to know that she's still worthy of concern. Clearing her throat, she readjusted her posture and eventually calmed down after her rushed slithering from her class. She smiled at the harpy as her way of thanking her for her concern, then turned to Fiona and asked, now with a calmer state of body and mind, "So, what do we need to do today, Fiona?"

Shippo

After classes had ended, Shippo snuck out of the classroom, hoping not to draw any attention to himself. He was already way ahead on his homework, which gave him plenty of time to work on deciphering that map to the temple of Horac that his brother sent him...well okay, he didn't send him the real thing, just a picture that he sent to his iPad. Pulling said gadget out, he opened up the picture along with a notepad app that had all his note in it, and began getting to work

Gabriel

Gabriel's first bit of good news here was that normal school was a lot easier then being taught by Master Vulcanus. He was a lot stricter and he tended to teach things above his students grade level. He was worried that he would have a hard time adjusting to the new curriculum, but it seemed that that wouldn't be a problem. Sighing, he replayed the events of his first day at this new school, and a feeling of loneliness spreed through his heart. Not having any plans, he decided to just return to his room

Simon, Gabriel, Isaac

"DAMMIT ALL!"
Simon slammed into Gabriel at close to 30 miles per hour, a brisk jog for the centaur, a car for most other races. The centaur cushioned the blow as best he could, lifting the Angel and twisting around as the pair teetered, leaned, tilted...then proceeded to roll down a hill, Simon cussing all the way down. The pair rolled to a stop at the edge of a large brick bordered pond with several gryphon statues in the centaur, Simon huffing in what sounded more like exasperation rather than pain or fear.
"Can't I meet one...just ONE person...without slamming into them first..."
"Past evidence says no, you can't."
Isaac landed next to Gabriel, shadowy wings dissipating as he helped the angel upright, giving him a fanged grin and a light butt-slap as he brushed grass off the Angel's backside. The demon was wearing a tight red tank top alongside black jeans that seemed to be specifically designed to draw attention to his groin, judging by how skin-tight they were.
"You alright? Getting hit by Cloudbrain here can be like taking a car to the face."
Simon huffed, remaining on the ground as the Incubus quirked a brow.
"You aren't hurt are you?"
"Naw...just ticked off that the only way I've met new people this year is by taking them on a magical ride of pain."
The centaur finally stood up, hair a wild mess as he brushed grass off his body. He gave an embarassed grin to Gabriel.
"Sorry about that, I wasn't paying attention, then you just kinda popped out of nowhere and I couldn't stop and...well...Hi, I'm Simon. I think I recognize you actually, weren't yo-"
"The kid yelling on the first day about making friends and giving that ridiculous peace sign?"
Isaac bit his lip, struggling to not laugh as he held up the double fingers. Simon rolled his eyes, swatting at the Incubus' hand.
"You know, in some cultures, it means V for Victory, not peace."
"Victory over what?"
"I...I don't know, just victory, like good job, we did it."
"Did what? Losing their virginity?"
"No-What? No, why is everything sex with you?"
"Look at me. Even you want a piece of me."
"I so don't."
The incubus's wings flitted out as he vaulted over, landing on Simon's rump and hooking one arm around his shoulders, batting his eyes.
"Oh, I still remember when we met. It was my first time getting run into. Such a blushing little imp I was, oooo, and you took me on such a wonderful ride...so rough you were! What did we end up running into again?"
"Fountain."
"How wet you made me. Dripping really."
Isaac enjoyed teasing Simon way too much. Probably cause the centaur found it too amusing to tell him to stop. The jouster sighed, giving the demon a bored look before cracking a grin at the antics, finally looking back to Gabriel.
"As I said, I'm Simon, and this is Isaac."
"You want friends kid? We're the best friends you're ever gonna have! We know everyone-Well...okay, Simon knows everyone cause he's run into them all and I know everyone cause I'm a raging horn dog. True story, swear on my little red undies."
"Oh for cryi-you're gonna scare him!"
"Fear makes everything better, hell, you scare me and I get a bone-"
"ISAAC!"
"Yell at me again, I'm at half-mast already."

---

Fiona, Ajala, Arcana

Fiona grinned, hopping off the wheelbarrow.
"You're both actually really early! Come on, it's down this way."
The Dryad picked up the wheelbarrow, apparently having quite a bit of upper body strength as she hefted it up and rolled it down the path. The sounds of the Academy faded away as the trio went deeper into the gardens, the sunlight breaking into patches of warmth as the canopy grew thick overhead. Every planter, every step introduced a bombardment of new colors and growths. Flowers exploded out of the sea of green like fireworks, vines draped low as birds and insects flitted back and forth. The entire gardens felt separated, distant from the rest of the Academy. The cobble path branched and twisted as Fiona explained the various greenhouses they passed by.
"That's the sentient plant house, we keep the smarter plants in there. Some of them have names and favored students. That's the hydroponics house, bring a raincoat if you go in there, and don't go in on a hot day if you want to keep your hair straight, the humidity is killer. Over there is the aquatics house for underwater planting..."
The dryad's usual timidness seemed completely decimated as she explained all the houses and plants they passed. Finally, a greenhouse that seemed quite different came into view. It was reinforced with heavy metal bars, and the glass was too thick to make anything out on the inside short of writhing shadows. Around the house was a large wire fence, in which numerous vines and plants with bright red markings grew. Occasionally, something slammed the wall, making the glass shiver. Fiona stopped at the entrance of the fence, fishing three keys out of her pockets. She handed one to each girl, holding the third one for herself.
"Okay, these are the keys. Only Miss Nathalia and the three of us have them, so no one can get in. The non-harmful ones are kept in fenced area, you can see them all around us. Flytraps, Pygmy Stranglers, Sundews, these ones can't actually hurt anyone, and most of the students know to not egg them on. The beetles are fed to these ones, you just gotta release them all inside the fence and shut the door, the wire is too thin for the beetles to get out, so the plants will get them all easily enough. But that greenhouse? You gotta be careful in there, okay? Those are the carnivorous and more dangerous plants. You'll be fine if you stick to the path, most are confined in their own blocks. Come on, we'll release the beetles last so they don't get on us."
Entering the greenhouse, the trio was greeted by hissing and the sound of vines slapping glass. A long path lead down the greenhouse, on either side large vented glass chambers housing writhing plants probing for food.
"These ones are what the meats for. We just drop it in from the top using the poles. Um, you two take care of the side ones please? I have to feed Mordecai."
Pulling out a particularly large cooler of meat, the dryad trotted to the end of the greenhouse, still calling back to the two girls.
"Okay, so the plants need water and food, feeding is easy as I said, but you need to make sure the soil is moist at all times. We feed and water twice a day, once in the morning before classes and once in the evening, around 7."
Putting the cooler down, Fiona gave a proud smile as she tapped a darkened glass block at the end of the house.
"Mordecaaai?"
Something violently body-slammed the glass, barely phasing the Dryad as she smiled happily at the contents. Within the block was perhaps one of the largest plants around, deep orange vines 4 inches thick in diameter whipping around as it reared back to a height of 10 feet, the blood red pod at the tip opening up into a brilliant yellow flower, complete with sharpened talons on each petal. A gurgling, fanged opening at the center of the flower pulsed hungrily. Fiona turned around, beaming.
"Girls, meet Mordecai! He's our prized possession, a three HUNDRED year old Gilded Devourer!"

Lilith

-Time Skip To After Classes-

Lilith was sitting outside on a tree branch in Ouroboros Gardens.

Ok, so, first day of classes, wasn't too bad, it's cool...Life Sciences, yes, Physical Education, how the heck do they even make sure that EVERY SINGLE...living thing (I guess)...gets physically active as they should? I don't even know. Anyways, Algebra, meh. Literature on the other hand, yes, wonder what kind literature would we study for this course? I guess I'll find out. Mythological Studies, looks like a promising course. Yep, life in Ouroboros seems awesome, I guess Irene was right about being this school being different than—

Just then, Lilith got reminded of Dantus.

...actually never mind, school sucks. Like, very, very, much. So much so that I'm going to devise this great, elaborate, and mischievous prank and set it off on Irene for enrolling me to this school, telling me that this was the best school she has ever been to in her entire life and maybe it would be my favourite school as well...that is, if it would be frigging spring already so she can actually come back! I wish I have the ability to manipulate time instead of speeding up plants, or maybe the ability to manipulate luck, or at least, my own luck so that she would come home early!

Lilith sighed.

Great, I'm being that person who gets worked up and slightly angry again. She sighed again. Good thing I had Irene to vent to...I forgot how I met her, maybe I should ask her again when she comes back, but she'd be that person who'd silently bow down and shake her head when I fudge up on something, in spite of everyone else yelling at me yelling "Does she even know what she's doing?!" or "Does she even have any morals, or even the slightest grasp at how we work around here or hell, reality?!" Sometimes, during those moments where I don't fudge up, she'd run down to the nearest sweets shop, and give me a huge pile of candy. Even when I do fudge up, she'd sometimes offer me a little sweet, and some advice on how not to do it again.

And Lilith sighed again.

Those were the days. Too bad she has to go away for half the year, ill parents, family customs, they made a deal to only look after me for half the year, I don't know, the reasons change every time I ask.

Lilith looked around the gardens At least this area of...school...doesn't suck, I'd be here 24/7 if it weren't for classes.

She took notice of a rather gargantuan iridescent tree, with purple bark and cyan leaves.

I guess I could go...check that tree out, got nothing to do, homework...can wait.

And so she did.

Ajala, Arcana, Fiona

The sheer sight of Mordecai's gaping maws was enough to leave Ajala with cold sweat running down her neck and bristling scales. With 'Devourer' in its species name, the fauna was truly something to run away from really fast, but they did have the assurance of the carnivorous plant's seemingly impervious container. After watching the beastly plant devour his share of the meat, the nagini nervously took a pole and slithered to the side containers with a cooler of meat before starting to slowly and cautiously feeding them one by one, silently realizing that she was beginning to regret her decision to volunteer. She gave Arcana a nod of assurance as she glanced at her, hoping that neither the harpy nor the dryad saw her nervousness.