---

Elizabeth was hushed by the cloaked woman, " They will soon. " She exhales with frustration afraid that the letters had been declined. Her eyes look towards the taller woman standing beside her in front of the mansion as she watches the yard with extreme intent. As Elizabeth examines her master closer she can notice the faint light escaping the mask her master wore, "Do not fret-- once they come we'll have a new batch to teach. Hopefully, prepare for the close future. "


Her master sighed, "Elizabeth-- love. Magic in whole is a beautiful lie but we mustn't rely on this lie for so long. Our people-- the people who've created these wondrous schools have only hanged on the hope that we've managed to muster and that very hope has blinded most wizards and witches from these lies we've weaved but what happens when the lies break our facade? How will the wizarding world handle the outbreak? We can't do this alone-- so these groups of students will be the first warriors to send the message to warn the world of what is to come.. "

Elizabeth simply nodded, biting her lower lip watching the flower covered yard as they now wait for the students in silence. A worry forming within her head. Though that worry turned transparent once a bright light began to form in the yard.

In a literal flash, Makoto found himself standing before what seemed like a very underwhelming welcoming committee. One moment he was standing in the quiet street outside his home and the next-- this. He blinked several times as his eyes recovered from the white light of Ms. Tohru's portal. Looking past the two woman before him, Makoto's gaze fell on the vine covered school. Also underwhelming. This was supposed to be a magic school, wasn't it? Couldn't they have magically made the school look a bit... nicer?

Old. That was his first impression of the building. He casually waved at the only two staff in sight-- one of which he was sure had to be Ms. Tohru. Trying to guess which of the pair she might be, his impeccable optimism kept right along. What sort of deranged headmaster sends out simple school invitations with such little explanation? He knew next to nothing about this town or this school. There had been no phone number. No website. No pamphlet. A school he'd agreed to go to and he didn't even know its name.

What was he even doing here? He should be back home. Focusing on his hum-drum little life where nothing happened. Where nothing was new or weird or mysterious. But even as he stood there alone-- the first to arrive and hopefully not the last-- he felt a twinge of excitement deep within the confines of his soul. Something that had nothing to do with appeasing the wishes of his senile mother who'd thought this was such a good idea. Bar the request of his credit card number, that letter seemed like an obvious scam.

No, the excitement was his. As was this perturbing desire to know. Aside from his shapeshifting, there was nothing remarkable about Watanabe Makoto. Working was all he'd ever been good at and even then-- he'd been written up several times for sleeping on the job after taking up that late night study course. But surely he'd been sent this letter for a reason? He was here for a reason?

He sighed and adjusted his bag on his shoulder. Probably not. Any minute now they'd likely check their records and inform him this was all some big mistake. That or they'd start requesting credit card numbers and say they'd all won a cruise.

If he hurried, he could probably get his old jobs back when he got home....

In a flash of light, the orphanage was gone. Saito stood before the school in a set of plain clothes with a half-full satchel draped over his shoulder that contained the entirety of his belongings. He looked around, more than a bit confused. In a split second he was now farther away from that orphanage than he had ever been. Poof. Literally, just like magic. He glanced around with a sheepish expression, expecting to wake up at any moment, but it all felt so real. He could feel the ground beneath his shoes, he could smell the fresh air, the sun was warm on his skin. Everything told him that this was reality. The orphanage was actually gone.

He looked up at the school, neither impressed nor disappointed. He had no idea what to expect when he expected the invitation. Perhaps a castle, perhaps a haunted house full of ghosts and witches. But a modest worn-down building coated in overgrown vegetation? Well, it was something different, to say the least. There appeared to be only two people standing in front of the school to greet him, and only one other student had arrived. Or at least Saito assumed he was a student. The young man he saw wore a sour expression that immediately crushed any flicker of a desire that Saito had to approach him. Even if it was a different place, it would still be the same. There was no reason to think that just because there was magic here that people would be any better to him. Head down. Do your work. Make it to the next day. That's the way it would always be. Even here...

Arden's feet pounded heavily on the hard wet cold stone pavement, protected only by a thin layer of worn tattered leather soles. The merciless icy winds rushing over his bare numb skin and roaring in his pointy ears as he frantically tore through the stormy dark streets with a desperate urgency. Yet still, despite his nimble agility and best efforts he couldn't seem to escape the angry droning echo of hostile shouts as they continued to chase him.

A sudden flash of light was followed by a surprising warmth that danced dangerously close to Arden's shoulder as an unexpected fireball narrowly missed him. It continued to travel further down the alleyway only to explode into a brilliant and blazing wall of fire blocking the path ahead of him.

Although still some distance away Arden could feel the heat radiating from the magical flames. This was the cost of his gamble. Sure the reward would be better but the stakes were defiantly higher and the odds not in his favour. This is why no one robbed the magic store.

Hurling the bag of stolen goods over his shoulder Arden quickly decided on a new path and took to the wall at his side. Scaling it with ease he was soon on the roof tops as his pursuers reached the ground beneath him. Another flash lit the sky, this time Arden didn't stick around to see what happened. With the next rooftop in site he took a mighty run up and lept.

'CRASH!' Arden was shocked as the second roof gave way beneath him and he came crashing down hard in an explosion of wood, tiles and debris. It took a moment to regain his senses, another to realise he rolled his ankle, a third to notice his stolen belongings were now scattered around or buried in the rubble.

Those chasing him would now be close, but he couldn't run. He frantically tried to gather his things but all that was in reach was a dusty letter. It caught his eye only because it had his name upon it. His real name. His full infernal Tiefling name.

As heads popped up around the opening in the roof, dark ominous shadows silhouetted against an eerie nights sky, ready to descend upon their helpless deserving prey. A new flash of light filled the room beneath them and the thief was gone!

An injured, dizzy and confused Arden suddenly found himself beneath a beautiful blue sky. Sitting on the soft luscious grass of a pleasant green field. Flower garden's aside and a tall old building ahead. There were a couple of people near him and two a bit further away. They seemed to be waiting expectantly.
Arden stuttered as he tried to find words for the situation and then quickly decided on remaining silent, for a moment at least.
"Where am I?" he finally asks.

In a flash of brilliant light, the young girl named Umi Yumi had arrived at what she assumed to be her desired location. Packed alongside was a small suitcase and a pink backpack slung over her shoulders; this was a school, right? She had come here to learn the art of magic and maybe discover that same potential inside herself…right? At least, that’s what her parents had said. They were the ones who thought this was a good idea.

Looking around, she noticed a small committee of adults ready to no doubt judge her while three kids around her age stood alongside. A shaky smile graced her lips and she opened her mouth to try and force out a greeting. These people were strangers, sure, but they were to be living together pretty soon. She might as well make more friends than enemies here. Only problem? She was the only girl here.

“Um, hello there everyone. I did what the message said for me to do, packed my stuff and everything. And you really came! This must really be the magic school,” she said with a smile, looking over at the three boys. “We’re at the magic school. My name’s Umi Yumi. It’s nice to meet you,” she said to Arden, trying to be open and polite. So far so good.

---

Maemi closed her eyes to avoid the magical light as best as she could. The country sun was always bright, sometimes even bright enough to blind if you stared long enough at it, yet the light that came forth from the portal was dazzling. It was as if Maemi had finally seen the white light of heaven. Perhaps she was, indeed, seeing heaven's light. All told and said, the invitation to study magic at this academy was rather vague. Who knew exactly what was on the other side of this portal that she so brazenly stepped through? What if the portal was a cruel trick, whisking her away to the middle of nowhere? What if this was where she met her end? Anything was possible, and Maemi's imagination did its best thinking of all the various possibilities that could exist once she reached the other side.

Once through the portal, Maemi breathed a sigh of relief upon feeling soft sod underneath her brown boots. I'm alive. She thought as Maemi adjusted her rugged backpack. Being raised in the country, Maemi didn't have much to pack besides a few spare sets of clothing and some personal belongings. A few small garden tools jingled against each other, but for the most part, Maemi had packed relatively light. Even if she had more to pack, her gardener senses would tingle inside, and Maemi would then take only the minimum that she needed. Her resourcefulness was something that Maemi was prideful of, despite that it probably mattered little how much one brought. Sure, the letter said only to bring what you could carry, but it never said that you couldn't get on Mrs. Tohru's good side and have her cast you up a pocket dimension to store anything extra!

"-at the magic school. My name’s Umi Yumi. It’s nice to meet you.” Maemi heard after finally coming to her senses. She looked up at the group of five standing in front of her, through none had seemed to notice her yet. They all seemed older than her, but two of them stood out more than the three youngsters. They must be the teachers, right? Maemi thought as her eyes sized up the building. To a construction worker, seeing the academy might've been a cringing sight, but to the gardener inside Maemi, the academy was beautiful. The overgrown ivy and moss could have used some work, yet a beautiful array of various flowers also awaited Maemi as she admired the serene feeling rousing from the plant life. It was hypnotizing for Maemi, but she quickly shook the visage off before anyone saw her absentmindedly gazing the plants like a starstruck child watching their first fireworks show. No, she wasn't here to geek out over flowers; she was here to learn magic.

Approaching the group of students and teachers, Maemi took a deep breath and tried her hardest not to look like a dork with a big, puffy smile on her cheeks. "Hello there," Maemi said as she announced her presence. She clicked her heels together, twirling in a circle like she was greeting an old childhood friend. "I'm Nakana Maemi, and I'm here to study magic! What about you?" Her voice had a hint of a carefree tone, as if she was a bit too energetic. Surely, living on a farm must've raised her differently than a city would have, and it clearly showed through her excitement for adventure. In any case, the letter never stated how long they would be at the academy, so why not try to be friendly with the other students? They'd soon be roommates, as well fellow classmates. If there was any better way to introduce yourself, it had to be upbeat, or so Maemi thought.

---

---

As new people continued to suddenly appear, each one caused Arden to nervously flinch and look around over his shoulder with suspicion and fear. He was still half expecting to see the small angry mob chasing him down.

'Was this all some sort of convoluted trick or spell?' Arden thought to himself as he slunk to the back of the group with a painful limp. Suddenly realising he still held part of the mysterious letter in his hand he quickly threw it to the ground like a diseased or dangerous piece of rubbish. Breaking contact with the unexplainable thing as quickly as possible.

So many questions raced through his head. As he thought upon the contents of the letter, so far it all seemed to follow true by the appearance, location and actions of the others.
Still sceptical Arden remained silent choosing not to reply to the overly bubbly optimistic girl. Instead he watched the others with a cautious untrusting eye.

Life had taught him to be untrusting. Good things never happened to Arden. He waited in silence hoping for answers.

"Hmm, that feels like a kind f a waste," Chiya said to herself, actually referring to the need to destroy the letter, as she finished her preparations, all packed within a suitcase and a backpack, plus a telescope within its rightful case.

"The calligraphy is so good and the paper too," the long-haired brunette sighed, "well, as long as it doesn't self-combusts or anything like this, I guess that I can keep the halves as a memento," Chiya though, before finally making up her mind and ripping the letter.

A moment later, the bewildered student was before the school, looking this and that way. The place had a quaint beauty to it, not something grand and opulent like the number one idea that came to anyone's mind when hearing the words magic school.

When she was done with her initial inspection of the building, Chiya turned to look at the people around her. A few other students were already lined up and a duo who looked to be the only faculty members around was there, seemingly waiting for them.

With some of the other students taking this chance to introduce themselves, Chiya thought that she could join in too. "It's a pleasure to meet you all," she said after fidgetting around for a moment, "I'm Chiya, but you can call me Chi, if you feel like it."

Having done with her self-introduction, Chiya turned to the other girls around, who named themselves as Umi and Maemi, and said, "It seems like this will be our new home for some time, right? Doesn't seem like we will be able to play a lot of Quidditch around here, but at least we don't have to worry with ghosts in the bathroom..." A sudden realization that this was indeed not outside of the realm of possibilities for a magic school made Chiya's joke drag a little as she turned to the only adults around and asked in a terse voice while scratching the back of her head, "W— we don't, right? Hehehe."

Shiori stared down at the letter she was firmly grasping onto. It was a short text, and exactly that made her feel anxious but eager at the same time. Part of her wondered whether the letter might be just a prank, but the thought was overshadowed by the curiosity stirring deep inside of her. Was there really a magic academy? And if so, why were there no traces of it? Could it perhaps be in a parallel world? Was that why students had to be teleported there? She had to find out. Even if all of this turned out to be a mere joke, at least Shiori had verified it, rather than let the chance slip through her fingers.

It had mostly been her parents who had encouraged her to accept the invitation; it would be a great opportunity to develop her talents. Shiori had said goodbye to them only a few minutes ago. Their departure had been brief to make things not too overdramatic, and who knows, she might be standing at their doorstep again soon for all that matter.

“Spare set of clothing... Pajamas... Notebooks...” Shiori mentally checked whether she had gathered everything that would be necessary or handy to have during her stay at the academy; she was not sure how long her visit would be nor whether it would be easy to leave the campus ground. From where she was standing in her backyard, the girl glanced over her shoulder to behold her house one last time. Absent-mindedly she speculated what her destination would be like. She imagined a grotesque but graceful construction, tall and mighty, with towers stretching up towards the sky. Then again, it might as well look like your average school-building...

Waking up from her daydreaming Shiori focussed on the paper she was still holding onto. “I hope this is obstacle-free enough,” she mumbled to herself, glancing up as she read the final lines. “Ok, here we go..!” she encouraged herself as she tore the letter in two. Shiori shut her eyes tightly as a bright flash emerged from the ripped note.

For a moment all she heard was her heartbeat throbbing in her ears, before the sound made way for that of rustling leaves. Nearby voices started to seep inside her head like the whispering of a gentle stream. She opened her eyes slowly to adjust to the light; a light that felt welcomingly warm on her cheeks and arms, reminding her of late spring. Not too far away from her she saw a number of what she assumed to be students, behind them a building overgrown with ivy. As some words caught her ear the girl’s idea got confirmed: they were upcoming students just like her. With nimble steps she approached the group, waving as some of them appeared to look her way. “Nice to meet you!” her voice chimed over the field of flowers.

One by one, flash after flash, Saito's classmates arrived in front of the school. It was bewildering seeing so many people appear out of thin air at first, but Saito had just done the same, so he didn't spend too much time marveling at the spectacle. The first boy to arrive after him looked even less pleasant than the first. He approached the group, looking like he just got into a fight, and demanded to know where he was. Crap... Saito thought, and he instinctively took a step back when Arden approached. The last thing he wanted was to get into a fight on his first day here, and this guy, even beaten up as he was, looked like he would pound Saito right into the ground.

"We're at the magic school," a cheerful voice replied. Saito turned his gaze towards Umi, the first person to show up without a dour expression. She seemed nice enough. Of course, people would often act nice just so they could take advantage of you, but he had no reason to mistrust her... yet. He hesitated, then opened his mouth to introduce himself, but the next girl, Nakana, beat him to the punch. Another friendly voice that seemed perfectly happy to be here. Two consecutive cheerful people? Maybe this won't be so bad after all, Saito thought. "H-hello," he began in a soft, meek voice, barely audible over the rustling of the leaves in the wind. "I'm--"

"I'm Chiya, but you can call me Chi!" They must not have heard him. It didn't seem like the third girl was trying to talk over him. Then again, maybe she already decided that she didn't like him and was trying to get him to shut up. He'd just wait until she was done... And then a fourth girl showed up. Saito waited silently for them all to make their introductions. He counted to three in his head. One, two, three... Once it seemed like everybody was done talking for the moment, he filled his lungs with air, and let forth his mighty introduction. "I'm Saito." It was about half as loud as Nakana's introduction, and a quarter as cheerful. But, at least they were sure to here it this time... right?

@Dark Light@TheWindel@Aquanthe@KoL@Amaralyn

---

---

Elizabeth was distraught once she saw students appear. Flashes of light harassing the grassy yard as students stood confused, hopeful, and a little bit of scared. She turned her head to look at Mrs. Tohru of whom was already gone, though she could sense her master's happiness almost a mile away as it perforated her vision. "You be good to them, Elizabeth! " Her master says as she walks further down the halls of schools waving goodbye as she enters one of the classrooms. Elizabeth smiled with happiness as butterflies formed in her stomach, quickly walking down the steps as she takes a closer look at the students.

Elizabeth exhales deeply as she steps on the grass stepping into a formal posture as she walks closer to the group of students. She stands in a formal posture with her forearms close to the midsection of her chest, hands lightly clasped together. She bows towards the students hopefully gaining their attention.



She looks towards, Arden of whom appeared in an odd fashion unlike most of the new students. Shaking her head, Elizabeth rolls her head and coughs nervously as she returns to speaking.

_{'Whole school year. Ripped it by choice. Chosen. Abilities. Current school. Through the portals. dedicated to the arts of magic. Any questions.'}

Questions... Arden had so so many! Yet at the same time he couldn't even manage to construct just one.
He was both equally amazed and frightened at the same time. Certain words from Elizabeth's greeting kept repeating over and over again in his head.

While everyone else seemed to know what was going on he felt completely out of place and clueless. He was clearly the odd one out. No back pack or supplies. No preparation. No previous schooling or home left behind.
He had only skimmed read the stolen letter as at the time he was kind of rushed and preoccupied. He still didn't even remember ripping it. Although it had his name it couldn't of been for him. Could it?

He figured it was meant for some one else. Perhaps some one with the same name. Or maybe he simply hit his head and misread it. Either way it didn't matter. The envelope was gone and he was here.

Arden didn't ponder too much on the possible mistake, he obviously couldn't of been chosen and hardly considered himself to have a 'useful ability'. But he was going to capitalise on this opportunity and make the most of it!

Despite believing that he didn't belong here Arden wasn't going anywhere without a good fight. He wasn't about to give up a full years accommodation and food so easily. He would do his damn best to fit in. If he had to act the part of an educated spoilt brat from a rich family then he would.

He puffed up his chest and lifted his chin. "Right." he announced with as much regal air as he could muster. "Just two questions." He steps forward and takes a big breath. "I have had the most unfortunate day. My new gift of an ill tempered stallion decided to misbehave while we were furthest from our estate. Not only did I not get back in time to properly prepare or have the doctor see to my ankle but my servants had packed all the wrong things."

Arden pauses as he looks to the floor and shakes his head, sharing his disappointment of his imaginary servants while he scrambled for his next words.

"If I may can I please see my room now and inquire to as what time lunch will be ready?"

Arden's heart was beating a million miles an hour but his outer demeanour didn't share a shred of his nervousness. Silently he was proud of his charade. Perhaps his voice was a bit heavy on the pompous side but his story should have the others believing he was rich enough to afford tuition to such a school.

Negative emotions towards magic? Maemi could not process such a thought. It was hard for her to believe anyone could possibly think negatively towards magic and all the wonders it could create. Even her magic was based around bringing positive energy back to plant life, to bring life anew to withering plants. Why would anyone oppose such a force that could uplift something back to greatness... a force that could bring the dead back to life? It was a heavy question floating in Maemi's mind, but she quickly shook her random thoughts aside to focus on Elizabeth in order to not miss out on any important information about her future stay at the magic academy. She had to pay attention, especially because Elizabeth was now their teacher. Certainly, Maemi didn't want to get into trouble on her first day for being a delinquent.

"If I may, can I please see my room now and inquire to as what time lunch will be ready?" She glanced at Arden as he spoke. There was something off about Arden; something odd and totally different than the rest of the students. Maybe it was his oddly shaped ears. To Maemi, Arden's ears looked like a pointy spade, as if someone had taken their gardening tool to a grinder and sharpened the edges. Of course, she wasn't mean enough to insult Arden based upon his ears, so Maemi thought little more about them. Perhaps later she could ask Arden about them once everyone was settled inside the academy. Maemi was already curious enough about the pompous air floating around him, in any case. Rich people weren't a common sight deep in the rural areas of Japan.

Turning her attention back to Elizabeth, Maemi raised her hand. "O-Oh! Me!" She said energetically, like a young child picking a toy out. "Are there any clubs at the academy? The flowers around the school are beautiful, and I want to help raise them!" Truly, Maemi was a gardener in both body and soul. She had brought a few pots and tools with her, but they wouldn't be much use if they were cooped up like chickens in the academy all day, 24/7. With luck, maybe Mrs. Tohru or Elizabeth would hire Maemi as the school's groundskeeper. The walls of the school looked like they needed some trimming, after all.

---

Arden’s silence made Umi pause and a small frown was shown by her. But she quickly brushed those sentiments aside to turn and greet the other new students. Sure, his lack of words had hurt her a little but maybe he just needed some time to adjust. After all, she would have been skeptical too had she not had some small inkling of magical knowledge. But from what she could gather, everyone seemed nice enough to an extent.

“Hi Nakana, hi Chi. It’s so nice to meet you!” Umi said, enthusiasm for this entire ordeal shooting right back up. However, something Chi had said caught her attention and with a curious stare, she tilted her head at the other girl. “Um, Quidditch? That sounds really familiar…that’s not a British thing, is it? Or maybe it’s a TV show?”

When it looked like the last person, yet another girl, had showed up, Umi waited for the two staff teachers or whoever they were to direct them along. But the small note of recognition that was a voice caught her attention regardless and she turned to acknowledge Saito with the same smile she gave everyone else. “It’s nice to meet you Saito,” she said before turning to the two in charge.

The introductions were about what Umi expected, the woman named Elizabeth explaining the purposes of the school as well as their newfound role here. And now time for questions. She didn’t have many, at least not a lot she couldn’t figure out on her own. Before anyone else had a chance to ask, Arden made his curiosities known first and foremost. Umi tried not to judge but…well, he seemed just a little bit rash. Remembering his earlier silence towards her made her glance at the ground; maybe she should just avoid him. Every class had their bad apple after all. It wasn’t like she had anything to ask right now anyway.

---

Makoto simply observed. He impassively watched the pointy eared boy's limp as he moved to the back of their little 'class' just as he observed the sudden appearances and introductions of his other classmates. The names of which entered his mind but didn't quite stick. He was here to do as his mother wished and work on his magic. Between school and whatever part time job he would manage to find in town, he didn't imagine things would be very different here than they were back home. Friendships were fleeting and not worth pursuing. They seemed nice, but it didn't matter. He didn't bother introducing himself.

When Makoto returned his attention to the adults, he immediately noticed that where two had once stood, only one remained. He listened intently to the woman's words-- 'Elizabeth', he noted. Perhaps the only name worth remembering for now. It was nice to know he would be able to visit home whenever he wished. No doubt he would take advantage of that feature frequently. Just to enough to help make sure his mother's house and laundry was kept in check.

He listened silently to the questions that followed, quirking an eye brown at Mr. Elf as he spoke of stallions, servants, and when lunch was going to be served. Some kind of magical fairy prince? he inwardly scoffed to himself. How many people actually rode horses and had servants?

Then there was talk of clubs-- a subject that Makoto found absolutely no interest in. Certainly there would be no time for clubs if he properly kept his schedule filled with productive things to do.

Saito's attention immediately whipped over to Elizabeth when he called for their attention. Discipline had been drilled into him at the orphanage. When an adult spoke, you listened. He was pleasantly surprised by the gentleness in her voice. Her welcome was warm and helped to put Saito at ease, though he wondered how anyone would arrive here accidentally. Who just went around ripping letters without reading them? However, he wasn't sure if he would call himself "dedicated to the art of magic." Yes, he wanted to learn about the weird abilities he discovered, he didn't think he would even be that good at it. He came here on a whim. Would he get expelled for incompetence? Well, he supposed he could still give it a shot, especially since his classmates seemed so friendly... well most of them anyway.

He looked to the roughed-up pointy-eared guy when he started talking about a horseback riding accident. He was immediately impressed. Was this guy some kind of billionaire? It was so cool that he knew how to ride a horse. Saito's hand went to his stomach at the mention of lunch. And he knew how to ask the pertinent questions. He wondered if he would want to be friends... but his attitude was making him a bit difficult to approach maybe he'd start with some of the nicer students.

Like Maemi, the girl asking about school clubs. That was an interesting question. There didn't seem to be many other students around. He supposed if there was going to be a club, they'd all have to agree on it. He remained quiet, waiting for Elizabeth to answer their questions. He didn't really have any of his own to ask. Or rather, he had so many, it was better just to wait for his education to start.

Being ignored by everyone but Umi kind of made Chiya feel bad, or like a buffoon who failed to deliver the punchline. "Well, it doesn't matter now, does it?" she thought, lightly slapping her cheeks.

Once Chiya had psyched up again, she turned to Umi and replied "Oh, it's a really British thing, indeed. I'm certain it could be cool if we could do it, but there's certain things that really won't work no matter how you try," she said.

Before Chiya could continue speaking, she was interrupted by Elizabeth's introduction and the opening of a Q&A session. She didn't have any particular question at this time, perhaps thanks to the lingering bitterness of being ignored, so Chiya just listened to what was said.

One unrelated things called her attention, though. The elvish looking boy was sprouting some very crazy fantasies for someone living in the 21st century, wasn't he? Almost instinctively, Chiya turned to Umi once more and asked, "Hey, Umi, do you think that boy may be a chuuni? I mean, he looks like the type, with those edgy looks and fantasies, doesn't he?" That said, she wasn't particularly mean in her questioning, but more amused at seeing a real chuuni, as well as not caring to be that silent while talking. The world was full of surprises, huh?

Elizabeth is glad that she doesn't have to contend with silence to start with, that's for sure! With a smile which beams gleefully a hint of unprofessional thinking, Elizabeth nods firmly as the students express curiosity. Thankfully these were both question she could answer, as she considers herself still relatively inexperienced in terms of teaching at Mrs. Tohru's academy.

'Right. You can do this, Elizabeth!'

Clearing her throat, the young woman regards Arden with a pleasant smile. His change in demeanor leaves her surprised, but nonetheless happy at his extroverted nature. "We will be getting to the dorms soon, Arden. I can tell you now that break-time will be held at twelve, which students may also use for their own purposes, assuming it remains on school grounds and doesn't break any rules. As for club activities..." Elizabeth pauses as her index finger is brought to her chin in thought, before perking up as though she stumbles upon a revelation. "We may not have any clubs technically, Nakana, however that doesn't mean you cannot pursue your own extracurricular activities. As mentioned earlier, lunch time -- as well as after school -- are both good times to participate in such activities; I hope you can all find something other than magic which catches your interest! After all, we must still prepare you for life outside of this school, so perhaps a club wouldn't be such a bad idea."

With both questions out of the way, Elizabeth takes a step backwards towards the school, beckoning the students to follow. "Please, follow me into the school! I wouldn't want to keep you all out here in the heat, and I'm sure you're anxious to see what awaits inside. I'm sure it will be quite the surprise." She couldn't help but giggle to herself, perhaps prompting that there may be something inside the school they wouldn't expect. As they walk up to the door, Elizabeth adds: "Oh, and feel free to ask any questions at any time! I'll do what I can to answer them!"

As Elizabeth reaches the front door she stands beside it with a giddy expression. "This is always my favourite part of the academy! Especially the first time!"

---

---

Though she smiles with unprecedented excitement, it's not hard to see the inside of the academy from the windows beside the large, wooden front door. From the outside the place looks deserted - cobwebs soil the ceiling and walls, and dirt tracks the broken floorboards. Paint and wallpaper has been pealed off within, and furniture and what appears to be in a kitchen within look not only disgusting, but terribly unsanitary. Elizabeth's expression does not change, however, and from her pocket she reveals a golden key, radiating with a mystical aura. "As much as I'd like to show you myself, I believe it would be best to have one of you open it! Any volunteers?"

@Delta44

Arden didn't volunteer he simply acted. Consumed by the guise he had since built for himself, the intoxicating and unfamiliar feeling of stature and importance overwhelmed him and drove him forward.
His lies had managed not only to deceive the others but to deceive himself as well.

With a stagger in his step he strode up to the teacher, ignoring the movements or actions of his peers and reached for the magical key like it was a mundane everyday utensil.

"let's get this over with ay."

Despite all the arrogant confidence from the character he was pretending to be, Arden couldn't control his hand as it shook with excited nerves of anticipation, fear and curious wonder as he reached to take the key and place it in the lock. With his heart beating hard, holding his breath and closing his eyes he waited for that defining click of the locking mechanism to tell him it was over.

Maemi looked around the school grounds, and wondered where exactly the school boundaries were. From her position, all she could see was the school and trees. There were a lot of trees around the academy, and Maemi had trouble trying to figure out if there truly was a path to the school underneath all the overgrown plant life that flourished throughout the grounds like a warm blanket. I have my work cut out for me. She thought, her mind now focused on gardening. Maemi wondered if the school had a mower, or any other expensive gardening tools. It would be a severe blow to her finances if Maemi had to buy one in order to help cleanse up unwanted grass or weeds. Gas mowers were out of the question, but even push mowers were expensive. Perhaps Maemi might end up lucky, and somewhere in this outgrowth is a ivy covered shed.

The fact that the school might not have clubs was a disappointment to Maemi. She glanced back at rest of the students as Elizabeth spoke, and Maemi wondered who would possibly interested joining a club with her. The three other girls and Saito seemed to be good candidates, but Arden and Makoto had a certain air to them that Maemi almost nervously stepped back after a single glance. Both of them seemed to be the future school delinquents, and it didn't help that both of them looked like they would rob you of your lunch money. Still, it wasn't right for Maemi to judge the two of them based on appearance alone. Maybe, just maybe, there was something hiding under that tough shell and the duo were friendly to begin with. She nodded at Elizabeth once her question was answered, and continued to listen to what their teacher had to say as the group entered the building.

Dirty, dusty and unsanitary. Maemi thought as she took her first look at the school's interior. Just like the outside of the academy, it appeared that the inside needed work as well. She didn't mind cleaning, but Maemi felt that there was a possibility that Elizabeth would make them clean the school as an assignment. Maemi had cleaned the classrooms at her original school, so how different would this school be? As Elizabeth quickly pulled out a golden key, she remembered now that they were studying at an academy for the magical arts. Everything would be different from this point on. She watched in curiosity as Arden volunteered and opened the lock, but Maemi had felt a hint of fear as the group was beginning to get their first taste of what the school had to offer. Don't be something dangerous... Please! She thought, clasping her hands together like how one would pray to a god at a shrine.

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