[IC] St. Sappho Academy, Medieval Magic Academy (Invite Only)

[Rune_Alchemist]

~Gwynn~

"Wha? No, no." Gwynn shook her head with a tired laugh. She didn't look well? Well, no surprise there. She hadn't slept in almost...24 hours now was it? That was never a good thing to do. Her shoulders slumped a bit, but quickly corrected her posture before Luna could comment on it. "Just tired. Like I said, didn't get much sleep last night." Gwynn sighed, stretching tiredly before. "And yeah, the Headmistress actually wanted me to do something for her off-campus so I'll be gone for awhile." She needed to go ahead and go. Lingering here wouldn't do her any good, and the longer she did linger the more difficult it'd be to go through with this.

"Uhm," Gwynn looked away from Luna, turning to leave. "If you see Maoin...be nice to her, alright?" Before Luna could say anything else Gwynn took off, quickly getting lost in the morning crowd of students.

~Livia~

"Ah, good morning Maoin." Livia replied with a friendly smile as she took a seat at the table. "Thank you for the offer, I came over here on rather short notice so I have yet to eat this morning." A bit of friendly banter would make easing into the topic of this conversation a bit easier, though she figured it could only end one way from the way Gwynn described Maoin's behavior. "And yes, though I must say it is Gwynn who asked to speak with me. Odd, considering her rather...dubious track record at the academy." The headmistress chuckled lightly.

"But not everyone is cut out for academics, so I can't really fault her for that. I certainly wasn't keen on school when I was her age. I thought it was a huge waste of time and often spent time in the library instead of any sort of actual studying. But then, back when I was your age academies like this were extremely rare as well." Nothing wrong with a little bit of a tangent to get conversation going and to give Gwynn time to get to where she was going. As soon as she was through the teleportation circle she was going to sever the familiar bond.

"Ah, look at me going off on a tangent like that. When you get old talking just seems to become so much easier. Livia cleared her throat before continuing. "You wouldn't happen to have any tea, would you dear?"

~Cynthia~

Honestly, Cynthia had been promised a day off and was slightly irritated. She hadn't even put on her uniform and was dressed much more casually. A simple white dress with green trimming that fell to her knees. She rarely got such days, but she could understand though. She had been there for the entire conversation after all. That said, teaching this small child about chores was not something she was keen on doing. She already made plans for the day with Mugi and she was not about to go back on that deal. Thankfully, a way out presented itself. A way out she was about to take.

"The opinion of a perverted voyeur means little to me." Just in time as well. It seemed Mugi had arrived judging from the knocking on the door. "Make yourself useful. Teach the girl some cleaning skills." Without even waiting to see if Cynthia complied, the maid headed to the front door where Mugi was likely waiting.

"Mugi..." Cynthia slowly began. "My room is upstairs." With little else to be said, Cynthia started walking up to the room.

[Roleplayer001]

Alright, the hellhound was speaking really strangely at this point. There hadn't even been a good insult since this morning. And the only reference to food was calling him 'meal-ticket', but that was an expected title at this point, sadly. Along with 'Magierprinz' and 'Zaberbuch'.

And hell, maybe he was being superstitious for some reason, but this beast came from the pits of fire herself, didn't she? In a joking tone, he looked towards the puppy with a put on smile. "You don't mean that literally, do you?" It was too damn early in the morning for these pranks, and he didn't really want to put up with them.

The kitten listened to the headmistress, frowning as the track record was mentioned but respectfully waited until it was obvious she was finished speaking before bothering to reply. "Of course, give me just one second." Maoin started to brew some tea, allowing a pot of water to boil slowly, although she willed it to go faster so the headmistress wouldn't be left waiting.

It was a bit odd though. Why would her mistress ask to talk to the headmistress ... and if so, why wasn't she here? And the woman didn't even seem remotely upset her owner had totally failed academically. "I never hoped my mistress would make A's ... I just think she deserves the head start in the world a degree can give her. I ... I really just want the best for her." A glance down at the bandages on her arm though spoke otherwise though.

"Though ... I've been too selfish recently. My lady was upset with me last night - which I deserved but ..." The kitten paused for a few seconds, mustering courage and trying to remember the words from the previous night. She had left a note saying she was out training, and she promised she wouldn't leave. She'd be back soon, surely? "... she should be back soon hopefully ... and I really wanted to talk to her anyways."

The kitten shook her head. The headmistress wasn't interested in her problems, she was here to talk ... at her mistress' request? "Anyways, I hope my mistress gets back soon. I think it's rather rude to leave the headmistress waiting, personally." Maoin passed the cup of tea over to Livia, placing it on the table in front of her, obviously a little irritated with her absent owner for leaving someone so important waiting around. "Although ... I hope she's alright. If it's not private, perhaps I could save some time and pass the reply back to her?" Playing messenger wasn't entertaining business.

The crimson haired girl looked up at the maid with confusion, still a little curious about why she hadn't been given the day off, and wondering slightly where Livia was. Had she angered the woman by barging in yesterday? Was everything alright between them?

Kathrine started talking about the shennagins as well, so it seemed like she wasn't the only spectator in there. Still though, a slight flush ran over the phoenix's face as she looked towards the maid that was trying to instruct her.

Cynthia was straight up gone, and Fia had been assigned to help her, but based on the way she was hurrying up the staircase implied that it wasn't important. "... I'll ... go to bed ..." And with that, the girl ran away from this unfamiliar maid and into the bedroom, wondering what exactly was going on.

[Pyromania99]

Lunalel Lightsword

"If I see Maoin. . " That sounded. . . "Wait! Gwy--" Well. It was too late. The girl was lost to the crowd. Rather, Luna felt it was best to leave her be. The Knightess scratched her head, and turned to continue to class. Perhaps she should question the Headmistress later. Answers needed to be had, but now didn't seem the time. She continued, but doubts about her decision to not stop Gwynn filled the back of her head.

Eith, The Shellagh Alpha

"Are you that dumb? Of course I mean 'literally'. Did I give you a poem?" Eith said, giving an antagonistic response again. Pity doesn't last long it seems. Now, was Swen going to believe the Shellagh or not. Eith had absolute confidence in her voice as she spoke, but as far as demons and devils go. . . It would sound farfetched to most. That is, most that hadn't seen Lyssa's horns personally. "No, I gave you the truth of things. Either you believe me and hope for the best, or you don't believe me and fall prey to the unknown." The aggression that was in her voice just prior had disappeared and she spoke with a shrug.

Katherine Lindall

"Fia-dea--" Katherine said before cutting herself off. "Of course, everyone seems to be too busy for Katherine." The Puppeteer said with open hands and a slight shrug. She summoned a number of dolls and gave out orders. "You three, clean up in their place. #5, I want you to follow Fia. #45, I want you to spy on Miss Grumblepants and Frostbreath." The dolls quickly moved to position. The Trio started cleaning up, if for no reason other than proving Katherine was more worthwhile than Cynthia. #45 found it's way into Cynthia's room sneaking right behind the Yuki-Onna as she walked in. #5 made it's way towards Fia, just watching.

Mugi, the Yuki-Onna

"Thank you for having me." Mugi said, as she walked into Cynthia's room behind it's owner and shut the door behind her. "And thank you for teaching me I suppose. I'll make it up to you however I can." The Yuki-Onna said with a smile while looking around the room. It's the second room she had been in, aside Lyssa's. "It's much less. . . Vulgar. . . In here than Lyssa's room." Mugi commented, noting the lack of erotic material.

[Rune_Alchemist]

~Gwynn~

Gwynn was glad Luna didn't try and stop her. That would have made things much more difficult than they already were, and she was not looking forward to have to explain anything to the knight. It'd only end badly like everything else currently had. She quickly made her way towards the edge of the campus, heading towards the school teleportation building, both letters firmly clenched in her hands as arrived, only taking a moment to catch her breath before walking in the doors.

As it was early morning and most students weren't using it for whatever normal reasons they would, it didn't take Gwynn long to get to where she needed to go. After waiting a few minutes, she was ushered into the back of the building towards a smaller room. She watched the teleportation circle light up as those who worked it made slight adjustments before giving her the go ahead.

a hesitant step and deep breath carried her over the border of the circle, and in an instant was leagues away from Maoin.

A few seconds later, Maoin would feel the familiar bond being severed.

~Livia~

"Do you now?" Livia's voice sounded a bit like she was questioning that statement about Maoin wanting the best for her, but said nothing else. She simply took a sip of the tea Maoin prepared. She certainly was skilled at this whole serving thing, wasn't she? Gwynn definitely had a keeper...she might have taken her for herself, if she didn't already have Fia. Unlike Gwynn, she didn't particularly have any qualms with someone being too...emotionally dependent on her. Made for a good servant, among other things.

"Aha, don't worry dear. I was taking today off, and when Gwynn came to talk to me this morning I could hardly turn her down. She's been working quite hard as a servant you know. She's actually fairly decent at the whole cleaning thing, barring the occasional accident with soap." Livia chuckled lightly, briefly turning her head to look over her shoulder. Well, Gwynn had made it to the teleportation room then. She supposed pleasantries were over with, then.

"But...I must confess it is not Gwynn I wish to see, but rather you." Livia continued, voice taking a much more business like tone. "We should probably discuss what happened last night...and what is currently happening. I must say I do not approve of what Gwynn is doing at the moment, but given the circumstances I think it was the best she could do for the both of you."

~Cynthia~

"The demon princess is quite...troublesome." Cynthia commented rather dismissively as she walked into her room. The room itself was plainly decorated. A large, queen sized bed sat against the middle of the far wall. A small vanity with various makeup tools and other such items was located next to it in a corner, and what looked to be a writing desk sat in the other. Several bookshelves lined the walls on the right of the room, of various educational purposes and some a bit more leisurely in nature - though nothing 'vulgar' as Mugi put it. At the foot of the bed was a locked, plain oak chest that seemed well worn and used. The floor was covered in a thick, plush white carpet.

"It is not much, but make yourself at home." Cynthia walked over to the bookshelves, thin fingers moving over the shelves as they searched for one of the books she wanted. A simple book meant to help show one how to write better. It was meant for nothing other than reference if she couldn't do it herself, but she was confident in her abilities. After finding it, she sat it on the writing desk. After collecting some paper and a pen, she motioned for Mugi to sit at the desk. "Learning to write, would be the easiest way for you to learn to read."

~Library~
???

Oh dear oh dear.

This was bad.

Very very bad.

The veritable tower of books loomed over her, ready to fall at any second and create such a sea of chaos and disorganization that she'd never be able to recover. Not to mention, the poor books would hurt themselves in the fall! The small woman pushed the books back into place, having to hold them there. After a few seconds of struggling with the books, she finally managed to stabilize the pile, slumping against the pile, straightening her disheveled glasses with a tired sigh.

"Ooh, that is the last time I am taking so long off from the Library! I swear I am the only one who can do anything remotely well around here! Everything is so disorganized and-Hhhhnnn." The woman whined, pouting as she thought of all the horrible things someone did to her precious books while she was in Egypt. At least that trip had been greatly educational. Before she could say anything else though, another pile of books that had been precariously stacked was starting to wobble. Leaping quickly into action, the woman started trying to stabilize that pile.

Only for the other one to start wobbling again.

"Eep! Oh dear oh dear oh dear I'm going to be so incredibly late to deliver my findings to the headmistress at this rate!" In an attempt to stop the books from committing literary suicide, she stretched out one of her legs, placing the heel of it against the pile.

Good.

Now she just had to stabilize this pile and she'd be golden.

just

Small problem.

Every time she moved the books trembled, threatening literary murder-suicide on her poor tiny self. Welp, might as well accept her cruel fate then.

"Ah...my lovely books hath betrayed me...Oh woe is a poor little bunny..." A few seconds later, the books toppled over, burying the small woman in a heap of books.

it'd be quite the odd sight for Swen once he made his way to the entrance of the restricted section. A mountain of books, with rabbit ears sticking out of one side of them.

[Roleplayer001]

The kitten blinked as it was mentioned her mistress had been working as a servant, an eyebrow being cocked at the statement. That was ... a very strange idea. A slight smirk crossed the girl's face as she imagined her owner wearing a maid's uniform. Was ... was the headmistress being serious? If the subject hadn't changed so quickly, the neko would have asked a bit more about the unthinkable happening.

But the headmistress' speech suddenly changed. See her ... why? The cat was always regarded by most as an innocent little kitten that -

A sharp pain and then suddenly ... nothing. The girl's eyes suddenly went wide for a few seconds, and then it was as if the life was sucked out of them as they remained perfectly still and utterly devoid of emotion.

There was some portion of her soul that just went missing.

The headmistress' words fell on deaf ears as the girl's head centered itself, leaning just slightly downwards. She didn't need to be told what had happened, but her mind found thoughts and feelings impossible to collect, so she simply remained staring off into the void. Unmoving.

The magierprinz looked at the hellhound as she made it abundantly clear that she was being completely literal in every single way.

Now, they had an antagonistic relationship, sure. But the girl hadn't ever even advised him, and she certainly had never told an outright lie. "... Eith ... thanks for the heads up ..."

Then he would do his best to get rid of that girl as quickly as possible. If a fire breathing beast from the pits of Tartarus was scared of her, then it would probably be a good idea for him to follow suit. He didn't need more beings of the infernal origin in his dorm anyways.

---

He soon entered the library, beginning to look around for someone he could use to request access to the restricted section. As he approached the area, the strangest scene awaited him.

A pile of books with bunny ears sticking out of them? Well, this was a strange phenomenon. "... Allow me to aid you ...?" Normally he'd be more chivalric, but this wasn't exactly a dragon. Being a frequent guest at the library the magierprinz began to take the books out from on top of the bunny girl, setting them into various organized piles.

The phoenix simply looked at 'doll #5' as it followed her into the room, the crimson haired girl cocking her head at it. The more she looked at these things, the more confused she got. Did they feel pain? Did they have lives of their own, or were they just extensions of Kathrine's consciousness?

Still though, she looked at the small female figure in front of her as she sat on the ledge of the bed. "... did you ... help kill master ...?"

[Pyromania99]

Lunalel Lightsword

Luna made it to class soon enough. She was a bit early, but she was surprised when she saw one of Miss. Lindall's dolls sitting on the desk. She just stared blankly at it, but it just sat there. She had definitely seen these things move before. She decided to give it a small wave. Short, to the point. The doll then waved back. Luna wasn't too surprised. She shouldn't be at all considering the place she was at. Then she just elected to sit there until class started.

Eith, The Shellagh Alpha

Well, at least Meal-Ticket was grateful. "I can't lose my food source to some bimbo." That wasn't the whole truth, but it was what mattered in the end. She didn't want him to know she was also spurred on by not wanting people to have to go through that living hell in hell. . . That said, she found the two of them at some building. . . Once they went inside she noticed there were a lot of books and under a pile of them was a meek voice calling out. Swen carefully started pulling books off, but Eith was a little less gentle than he. She grabbed them and dropped them on the ground beside her. They weren't being manhandled and ruined, just roughed a bit. Something just pinged her instincts to dig for prey. . . Or something like that. She was probably just hungry.

Katherine Lindall

Katherine just decided to sit in one of the rooms and wait for Livia. She had a nice watch over Fia, Cynthia and that Yuki-Onna girl so she wasn't for lacking entertainment. Well, Cynthia and Mugi were being boring. The puppeteer was expecting something a little more. . . Erotic. And THAT Cynthia was teaching? How odd. She'd have never expected that. What was that Yuki-Onna's method? Katherine had tried to get on friendly terms with that maid for a while, but she was always so cold. . . Hmm, well, she could at least watch. That aside, #5 was being directly talked to by Fia it seemed. . . .

___________________________________

#5 just looked up to Fia as she asked her question. The doll cocked it's head confused. "Kill master?" It wondered. Well, it's master was still alive. . . So, like, it didn't help kill her. It's arms crossed as it looked to the ground slightly. If it had a moveable face, it'd be looking rather perplexed right now, though the way it carried its body told enough of the story. Then, all of a sudden, it remembered that one time a number of its siblings went with Katherine on a mission and they DID kill someone. Though #5 took no part in it. To answer, it looked Fia in the eyes and shook it's head rapidly stating a big fat "No."

Mugi, the Yuki-Onna

"Right. Desk. Writing." Mugi said as she sat at the desk. She had a look of confidence on her face, though that merely covered the unease she had at learning the writing system of a new language. She had a small amount of experience. She knew what an A was. . . But. . . "I might be a little slow at this, sorry if I have a hard time of it." She told the maid with a smile. "But before all that, you look nice in that dress." The Yuki-Onna said while making a motion to the dress she wore. "It's a bit refreshing to see you out of that maid uniform. . . Oh, n-not that it looks bad on you or anything." She stumbled over her words a bit trying to fix what she said.

[Rune_Alchemist]

~Livia~

The kitten had stopped listening about halfway through her words, then. For the next few minutes, Livia sat there, quietly finishing the tea. She had hoped Maoin would do something herself, but after a few minutes it seemed like she was simply going to stand there. Livia sighed. Foolish cat. If that was the extent of what she could do on her own, then she might as well deserved this. Those who didn't have any desire to succeed in some manner, were not people had any patience for. Fia, had a bit of an excuse for her behavior and she was slowly improving? But this kitten? Well.

She'd be getting no sympathy from her.

The headmistress stood, filling a glass with water...and dumping it right on the cats head, a small hiss coming from the cat as the water soaked her hair and clothes.

"I can see why Gwynn left you," Livia began with a cold tone, giving the cat a cool glare. "I'm surprised she didn't dump you sooner. You're useless if you become this traumatized over something so trivial."

~Cynthia~

A small blush ran across Cynthias face as she was told once again, she was cute. The maid huffed irritably, frowning.

"Idle chatter will not help you." The Maid said. "Focus on the writing." With a shake of her head, Cynthia took a look around the room. She wasn't quite sure, but she was certain Katherine would be quite interested in what was going on in here. She likely thought they would be getting up to something less than savory, but that wasn't something Cynthia would ever do...well, it would at least take a bit of work.

She was certain one of her dolls were here somewhere, but for now Cynthia let it go.

"What do you know already?" She asked the Yuki Onna. "I need to know where to start." Truthfully, Cynthia was probably just as nervous as Mugi was. Teaching was not something she thought she'd ever end up doing...

~Miren~

The only response Swen received was a muffled thanks, and a twitch of the white fluffy bunny ears. It took Eith and Swen some time to remove enough books from the pile. The sheer number of books the rabbit had apparently been trying to reorganize might have very well been at least half the library. Finally, after having removed a sufficient number of books from the pile, the person finally managed to free themselves.

Miren

"Waaah~!" The person, standing ankle deep in books still managed to shove the rest off of her with a tired whine. "Ooh, by poor little bunny buns. They're going to hurt for awhile after being stuck like that for so long." The bunny girl rubbed her backside, trying to work out a rather nasty cramp as she stood. Ugh, how long had she been buried under there? She couldn't say, but it felt like ages. The girl in question had dark skin with long, white hair and blue eyes. Two furry rabbit ears extended from the top of her head, drooping slightly in mild dissatisfaction with the situation. She was wearing a rather simple long sleeved shirt with tight fitting long pants and comfortable shoes.

"Oh, uhm, yes! Sorry about that! Urgh, I swear I leave everyone for a week and everyone hurts and misplaces the innocent little books. Not only that, we had a break in! When I fine whoever did it I'm going to give them a thorough beating!" She said again after a few seconds, adjusting her glasses, attempting to appear threatening but only managing to puff out her cheeks in a rather cute manner.

"Miren, Head librarian at your service!" The mood didn't last long though, before she remembered the person who helped her out of this predicament. "Weeeeeelcome...to...the..." The womans eyes fell on Eith and the reaction was almost immediate. Despite obviously being uncomfortable around Eith, though she continued after clearing her throat. "Eeep! U-uhm, W-w-elcome to the Library. Wh-what can I do for you?" each word was enunciated with a small squeak of what sounded like fear.

Professionalism was key, and she was a professional and she would not let simple fear of a mutt get the better of her. Well, she was trying at least. She was a grown woman damn it, she shouldn't be acting like this towards a little mongrel.

[Roleplayer001]

The magierprinz watched as eventually a small ... bunny girl managed to get the books off of herself, freeing herself from the pile with considerable effort. The mage continued moving some of the books, keeping himself busy while the head librarian spoke of her woes ...

... he cringed slightly as the bunny talked about the break in, but remained silent and begged the puppy would do the same. Sure she was more cute than threatening, but she probably had the keys to the door he wanted. But right now, she seemed scared of the puppy and he was going to take advantage of that.

"Ma'am, me and my friend here were wondering if we could have access to the restricted section of this library. I swear on my honor as a Zaberbuch that nothing will leave or be misplaced by my hands." Hopefully that would work. If Eith would come along, then maybe ... maybe the woman would be too scarred to say no?

Maoin instinctively hissed as the water was dumped on her head, but she didn't really move, just lowering herself onto a small stool that was behind her. The cold water forcing her to shiver just slightly, eyes still dead to the world but awareness of the situation sinking in. This time, the words of the headmistress were heard, but ... they seemed distant, somehow.

The headmistress was right, wasn't she? The kitten had never been worthy of her mistress in the first place. Her lady had only picked her because she was easily available, and then had put up with her for a little over a year before leaving. During that time, she had forced her to do things she didn't want to, been lazy about chores, and as was mentioned the night before - she couldn't even have fun with her. And then she was just an adorable, pointless, ball of fucking emotion, wasn't she?

But ... she wouldn't leave without saying ... goodbye ... would she? Was this ... some cruel trick, played by the headmistress? If it hadn't been for the events of the previous day, she would have considered this deception ... but ...

The kitten's eyes were still dead as she was in a state of shock, but this time the headmistress would get a nod in agreement. And few words would leave her mouth if the woman was willing to wait for a bit longer. "... she's everything ... though ..." Her body started to shake just slightly, as if a cold breeze was blowing onto the cool water running down her back.

The crimson haired girl watched as eventually the doll shook it's head no, frowning just slightly. After a few moments of further curiosity, she ended up asking the small thing another question. "... why ... are you here ... then ...?"

[Roleplayer001]

Double Post. Fail. Ignore.

[Pyromania99]

Eith, The Shellagh Alpha

This girl was cute. Something about looking frieghtened and having bunny ears. Eith just watched and listened but took notice when the girl jumped after looking at her. The Shellagh didn't think she looked too scary in this form. Not like she was in her true form or anything. After looking over herself, she found nothing wrong. Actually, she completely ignored what Swen said and just acted according to instinct. This Bunny Librarian was too much and Eith practically jumped at the chance. She walked the two feet and hugged the bunny-girl. "Bunny is soft." She said as she attempted to be non-threatening, yet hardly realizing what she was doing. "Ahh, how'd I end up here?" She asked, still hugging the rabbit.

#5

#5 just stood there looking at Fia, crossing its arms as it tried to think of a way to answer. Its master didn't give any specific orders or anything, so perhaps it could try a different approach. After a good half-minute of deliberation, it walked to Fia's legs and acted like a small pup wanting to get up on its owner's lap.

Mugi, the Yuki-Onna

"What I do know is. . ." She began writing something out. It was. . . Well, horrid looking. . . To say the least. However, it was still the Latin alphabet in its current form. . . Well. . . A bit. I was only the first ten or so. A, B, C, D, E, F, G. H, I, J and K. They just looked really. . . Misshapen. If it wasn't blatently clear to Cynthia by now, what Mugi said about being a bad writer was entirely true. To be fair to the poor girl, she had lived in a snow village where the most fun thing to do were pulling pranks on each other and the Blizzard Festival held each year. "It looks. . . Well, completely horrible." Mugi said scratching her head slightly.

[Rune_Alchemist]

~Livia~

"She's...everything?" Livia scoffed. "What are you, a child obsessing over some fictional hero? A religious zealot who can't live without his silly god?" It was quite clear that Livia was not approving of Maoin's thought. That said, if this was how the kitten felt there would likely be little she could do to change it. People like Maoin who were clearly obsessed with something could only accept the harsh reality once they saw it for themselves. "At least they actually try and aspire to be something for the one they serve. You, though?" The headmistress walked over to the kitten, giving her a cold glare. "You put her on a pedestal and made her out to be something she wasn't. What have you done but make Gwynn's life harder for her? Oh certainly she's a fool sometimes and not entirely blameless in this situation, but at least she tried. You didn't even do that, did you? And now you just wallow in self pity. You're not even going to try, are you? Pathetic. You could at least try and go after her, couldn't you?"

Livia stopped speaking giving the kitten a moment to reply if she would, at all.

~Cynthia~

"You're correct. It is horrible. A child could do better." Cynthia wasted no time in helping her, however. Swiftly, and elegantly she took the pen from Mugi and wrote the entire upper and lowercase alphabet on the paper under Mugi's attempt. The difference was quite obvious. Where the Yuki-Onna's was crude and inelegant, Cynthia's was the opposite. The letters flowed neatly, and were written swiftly and smoothly. "This is the alphabet. I can assume you do not know proper written grammar either, correct?"

Cynthia went on to explain the basics of each of the letter sounds, as well as writing the brief pronunciation and phonetic structure of each letter very briefly. It took a few minutes of writing, but eventually she was done. She liked to think she was doing a good job - but she did have her doubts. Practice would help Mugi quite a bit more than simply observing, as with anything.

"Hm...I think the first step would be to memorize the entire alphabet."

~Miren~

"T-the restricted section? Oh, uhm...do you have a reason for it?" Miren asked, shifting uncomfortably. "I'm less worried about you harming the books there - a few of them could easily defend themselves, but uhm, there are things in some books there the headmistress has deemed-eep!"

Before she could finish speaking, the wolf was upon her. Miren froze on the spot, eyes going wide with fear as the hound hugged her before she could get away. Every instinct in her body was telling her to flee, but she couldn't. She had a job here and as scared as she was she couldn't run.

"Y-yes I'm a soft innocent little bunny bun and please let me go before soft innocent bunny bun dies of fright." Oddly enough though, the hound felt...incredibly warm. Like a warm fire place or somewhere safe she could possibly take a nice nap in. But that was a silly thought. This hound probably just wanted to make her adorable life quite a bit shorter.

[Roleplayer001]

The magierprinz watched as the nervous bunny was hugged by the very thing she was terrified of. This was an odd reminder of some time spent back in Greece ... it was unfortunate but this would be a fantastic time to take advantage of the situation. He approached the back of Eith, patting her on the back slightly in encouragement. "I am going on a mission soon, and some research about the foe I could be facing could possibly save my life."

Now it was time for a little deception that even the headmistress would be proud of. "Besides, I've entered here before with the headmistress' knowledge. It shouldn't be a problem if me and my friend here enter again, should it?" It wasn't a lie. The headmistress DID know he had been in here before.

And besides, it was a chance for the bunny to escape, which she desperately wanted.

The kitten seemed to start becoming depressed as the headmistress continued to berate her. Gwynn wasn't some fictional hero, she was a champion. Her champion. She deserved the best but ... did she really put her mistress on that much of a pedestal? It's just ... the kitten thought she could do so much better for herself.

And had she only ever caused problems? The previous night was a perfect example of that, and the two of them often had to have some heartfelt discussions. They had argued in the library, on an icy lake, and elsewhere. Maybe she was just getting in the way ...

And ... she had started trying to aspire to be something, hadn't she? Lessons with the dragon, attempting to be the best servant ... but it wouldn't ever be enough, would it? Sure, she could go after her mistress, but ... would she even be wanted?

By chance, the kitten's eyes drifted over to the dresser with drawers that were just slightly open. Next to it was a small bag, a kit to help the mage take care of her sword. Slowly walking over, she looked down at it, lifting it into her hand. Something she'd probably forgotten in her haste to leave.

And then she noticed something stranger. Her eyes glanced down to the open drawers for just a second, the kitten taking a quick mental catalog of everything that had been taken out of sheer instinct. A simple shirt, a set of gloves, tough boots, and a rough pair of pants. Probably her sword as well, since it wasn't anywhere nearby ...

She didn't even bring a SINGLE change of CLOTHES!?

Her mind was made up instantly.

The kitten's eyes suddenly narrowed as they darted around, her entire body quickly becoming animated as she suddenly brought out three bags, throwing various objects into each of them. Clothes: mostly simple and durable, but a single pair of nice ones for each of them along with her servants uniform, just in case. The set for cleaning her blade was assembled in another, along with some basic amenities for both of them so they could remain comfortable. One bag was already filled with rations that was always prepared, which she yanked off the shelf with haste. A small set of dishes was contained within at all times, which rattled slightly as they clanked into eachother.

The entire process took less than two minutes.

As she finished working, hands belting the bags back together. Hurried, she asked the headmistress a series of questions, picking up her small sword on the way out of the dorm along with her sack of coins. "Where is she? Where is she going? What's the fastest way to reach her? Can I use the teleportation pads? I can pay for it."

Fia looked down at the small doll, frowning slightly as she picked the smaller ... person ... into her lap, looking down at it. After a second or two, she rotated the small thing so it would be facing her instead.

Although this was awkward, it was somewhat relieving to not have to speak during a conversation. Despite Livia's encouragement, years of training had made it an incredibly uncomfortable experience for her.

[Pyromania99]

Eith, The Shellagh Alpha

Eith had no plans to let go of this bunny. She was absolutely adorable. She seemed like a stuffed animal, but alive. "Bun not food, therefore, should not be scared. Soft and cuddly. I just want to hold." Eith rubbed her head against the rebbit's a few times. "Rabbits are cute."

#5

The found itself face to face with the Combuster of Fat. . . No, Phoenix. It would have been fine sitting on the girl's lap, but like this it patted Fia's head instead with an added shaking motion to its head almost as if saying, "It's okay." If it could smile, it probably would. It then held it's arms out as if wanting a hug.

Mugi, the Yuki-Onna

"Ouch, and here I thought I was suppose to be the cold one here." Mugi said before blowing a bit of cold air in Cynthia's direction. The Yuki-Onna chuckled a little bit, but looked to the paper and spoke. "But yes, perhaps I should learn the Alphabet first. It shouldn't be too hard compared to learning Hiragana and Kanji. . . Right. . ." Mugi said as she tried copying Cynthia's drawings of the Alphabet. "I guess I can practice these ones here. Thank you for writing them out for me."

[Rune_Alchemist]

~Livia~

Well, it was good to see the kitten wasn't wallowing in her own self pity. That said, the kitten was also being completely foolish. She intended to go after Gwynn in her current state? Well, aside from the fact she knew this errand she sent the girl on might be a bit dangerous the Kitten had no idea what she'd be getting into. Still, Livia smiled a bit, both relieved and amused by the kittens sudden change in demeanor. That said, she was not about to help in the slightest. Maoins presence would only be a hindrance to her own plans.

"What would you do once you found her? She left for a reason, you know." Livia replied with a dismissive tone. "Besides, she is on an errand for me. Quite a dangerous one, and your presence would only be a hindrance since you can hardly even take care of yourself, let alone fight." Livia turned to leave, intending to end the discussion here. "So I will not be helping you. If you want to find her - do it yourself. Your a clever kitten, aren't you? So you shouldn't have any trouble."

Livia left the room, closing the door behind her. She wasn't about to help the kitten in her current state.

~Cynthia~

"Hmph, just learn how to write it." Cynthia said with a small frown, taking a seat on the bed. That said, that was about all Cynthia could do in regards to teaching right now. It would be up to Mugi to memorize the letters and what not, wouldn't it? Honestly, she was a bit worried that she wasn't going to be doing a good job, but...well, she'd do it regardless. A few seconds passed before Cynthia gave Mugi a slightly unsure look before asking a simple question. "...tea?"

Usually her duties were to always prepare tea and possibly some light food regardless of if she was told too or not. However, since she had the day off...it was only polite to make such an offer. Besides, she didn't have much else to do.

~Miren~

"Please let goooo. Bunny is frightened." Mir replied with a small whine as swen explained what he was doing, and his intent. Well, if it was alright with the headmistress...then certainly it'd be fine? That said, she really didn't want to lose her job as the librarian and if she let him in it might become troublesome...but well, he seemed like an honorable sort. He wouldn't lie, would he? "B-but fine. If you want I can let you in for a bit. J-just...uhm, please remove the dog from me and let me get the keys." Miren pleaded with the Mage, giving him the biggest eyes she could possibly give.

At least, that was what she said. The dog was surprisingly warm, but...dog. She had been chased by an ample amount in her life, and she was not about to not be afraid of them.

[Roleplayer001]

The magierprinz watched as the bunny fell for his plans, the hellhound still holding the rabbit tightly in her arms. "Yes Eith, she is cute. But could you please let her go so I could get into the library?" The mage put a small amount of effort into prying the puppy off of the librarian, putting a small amount of force in to ensure the hellhound got the message. Hopefully it wouldn't make her mad, but it was worth knowledge that could possibly save his life.

The kitten paused only to hear Livia's response, then frowned as the headmistress left through the front door. Maoin hesitated for a moment, then opened the door as she chased after the taller woman. It took a few moments, but she carefully constructed the arguments into her head before she started speaking.

"I'd converse with her ... perhaps she left me ..." The kitten looked down, faltering as she spoke. It was hard to admit that, the words causing a pain in her stomach as if she was slightly sick. But she continued anyways, pressing onwards. "... but if I'm not hers, then I'm free to do what I want! I've made my decision." Maoin seemed extremely steadfast, then started working on the second point.

"And I CAN fight. I'll have you know I fought a grand dragon and lived!" Perhaps that was a bit of a ... misrepresentation of the events that had occurred, but she wasn't about to stop here as she moved alongside the older woman. Her next words seemed more stern and serious, the teenager placing her unwavering will into them. "I'm stealthy, quick, and well balanced. I can pick locks as well, which I know she can't do. I can see in the dark as well, and have hearing far beyond hers. So I'd be an incredibly useful asset, and not having me along only increases the chances of her demise AND the chance of a failure. Unless that's what you want."

This time, the girl stood picked up her walking speed, trying to keep up with the headmistress. "I'm clever enough to know I at least need a starting point. Look, I don't know what you want out of all this, what the objective is. I promise I won't get in the way of that ... and I'll promise you a favor in the future. Anything you want, so long as I can do it and it doesn't hurt Lady Gwynn." Maoin finished speaking quickly, taking a few breaths to give the headmistress a chance to interject.

The phoenix lifted the doll up into a hug, feeling extremely strange about being the bigger party. Was this how Livia felt when she hugged? After a bit though, the girl headed back downstairs with the doll, looking around for the headmistress' friend. If she was there, the nervous girl would walk towards her.

"... here ... found ... your ..." The doll was lifted into her hands, ready to be handed off to the older woman.

[Pyromania99]

Eith, The Shellagh Alpha

"No, rabbits are cute. Bun here is adorable. . . I don't want to let go." Eith said as she pulled her head up. "And I'm not a "dog." I'm a Shellagh, purebred and more noble as well as smarter than any dumb mutt." The girl said as she rested her head on the rabbit's shoulder. She obviously didn't want to let go. . . If Miren or Swen wanted her to let go, they'd have to try harder.

#5 and Katherine Lindall

The doll waved to Katherine as Fia came up with it. Katherine smiled as she finished Fia's sentence. "Doll? Slave? Servant? Thrall? All of those would be fitting enough, though I suppose doll sounds the nicest." The Teacher said as she looked towards the two from the seat she took as her other dolls continued cleaning. She wasn't sure why she was doing that for Cynthia . . . Well, maybe she'd be thankful later. A simple "Thank you," from that prideful woman made her feel like she won something. . . Though she had low standards in that regard. "Even so, we've hardly talked since you've came here Fia. You've been, oh-so scared of me haven't you?" She couldn't help but shrug at the thought. She never thought the girl would have payed attention to her old master being murdered.

"Oh, if you want to keep that doll with you, you can." Katherine added. She didn't think she would, but it wouldn't hurt to give the girl an option. It'd give her a good insight into the girl's life and. . . Katherine couldn't help but like spying everywhere. "I'd say it likes you. It doesn't hurt to have a silent friend to talk your worries to, does it?"

Mugi, the Yuki-Onna

"Tea? Oh yes, that would be great. . . Though, something sweet if you have it? If. . . I can make a request." Mugi wasn't sure of the type of teas the maid had, but she was sure it would be something something gracious and elegant. Mugi's tastes weren't that refined. . . Besides, those teas don't taste as well chilled in Mugi's opinion. "But I'll take whatever you have." Mugi added before giving a wink and going back to just copying and remembering th different letters.

[Rune_Alchemist]

~Livia~

"You fought a dragon? A certain lightning dragon, I presume?" Livia stopped walking, turning to face Maoin with obvious hostility. "I find that difficult to believe that is an effort to note. If she was serious in a fight, you'd be nothing more than smoldering ash." Livia scoffed dismissively at Maoin's assertion, not buying the obviously false statement.

"Let me make myself incredibly clear. You going in your current state would only increase the chances of Gwynn getting hurt. Why? Because its potentially extremely dangerous. I only even considered sending Gwynn because she said she could handle it, and from what I've seen from her martial ability and her magic - she is indeed quite capable. You though? You can hardly defend yourself. You're a pathetic, sorry, excuse for a familiar. All you can do is nag your master until she's annoyed and hardly even think about what she actually wants, but what you assume would be best for her. Why do you think she wanted to leave home anyways?" Her words likely stung more than a little, but Livia was never particularly one to mince words. She of course, could also be wrong. After reading a bit about Gwynn and hearing things from her though, she felt like she had a decent grasp of the situation.

"So let me ask you something. If you did go, and something did go wrong and Gwynn had to chose between saving you and possibly her own death, which do you think she'd chose? I sorely hope you know the answer to that, because if not then you don't deserve Gwynn. She is the type of person to put the welfare of those she cares about above her own. Now if you are quite done, stray, I have an academy to run and I will not be helping you in this matter."

Livia turned to leave, leaving the kitten standing there once again. This conversation was over as far as she cared, and any further questioning from the cat would likely prove unsuccessful.

"If you truly want to run after her, I suggest doing some self reflection."

~Cynthia~

Sweet? She had something sweet, at least. With a curt nod, the maid got off the bed and walked over to one of the shelves, retrieving the necessary implements. Silence filled the room as she worked, a bit unsure what to talk about. Small talk was not her forte, though she did want to say something, she just had no idea what. Maybe something about the Yuki-Onna? Typically, asking people about where they were from on her own accord wasn't something she was trained to do. Unless Livia had interest in obtaining that information, she was supposed to keep her mouth shut during such meetings.

Out of habit, then she simply remained silent until the tea was done and handed some to Mugi as she took a seat on the bed again, giving Mugi a somewhat expectant look.

~Miren~

Miren had no idea what a 'Shellagh' was. She didn't care. She only knew that this dog was not letting her go, and that terrified her no matter what the dog said. That said, as of yet she hadn't done anything untoward...she still had all her little bunny bits and hadn't tried to be eaten yet. Perhaps she really did have nothing to be afraid of. Unfortunately for Eith though, she also had a job to do. Which she was currently getting in the way of, and Eith didn't seem too entirely keen on letting her go.

Miren struggled to get out of Eith's hug, but found it somewhat difficult without getting a bit violent. She was not a particularly clever nor strong bunny. Well, usually. Acting mostly on instinct, Miren gave Eith a surprisingly swift, powerful kick right to the Shellagh's shins.

[Roleplayer001]

The magierprinz's eyes went wide as he saw the small bunny deliver a rather ferocious kick to the dog. Sure, they were small and adorable. But damn did they have strong legs. "Alright, break it up you two." This time Swen pointed his wand between them, firing out his wind cantrip to hopefully knock them apart, angling it to make sure neither of them flew into a bookshelf. Looking over at Eith, he looked down at her shins to make sure everything was alright.

Not that he had any healing magic or anything, rather to ensure the school's resident white mage didn't need a call.

Hadn't this very same woman a few minutes ago told her to go after her mistress? The kitten's ears fell gradually as the headmistress let out a string of insults towards her.

The woman walking away from her was confusing at a minimum. But the kitten had a final word for her, jogging up to her before she looked at the taller woman with watering eyes. "... she'd die for me ... that's obvious." The kitten spoke her next words with frustration though. "... but I'd do the same for her too! If she gets hurt while I'm not there ..." A few quick words left her lips as she tried to keep pace. "... and I don't know what she had planned for me, she probably hoped I'd love some new master and would pamper them and everything ... but she's wrong! Alright!?" The kitten looked up at the taller woman, tears falling out of her eyes, hoping against hope that she'd budge and offer some sort of aid. It almost seemed like as if the girl was trying to convince herself.

If Livia didn't say anything, the cat would soon disappear.

---

The kitten's path took her around the school grounds, eyes instinctively darting around various nooks and crannies hoping somehow that her lady would be there, jumping out and giving her a big hug, telling her this was some sort of test of her faith and loyalty.

Of course, it didn't happen. The girl tried to hold in her tears as she walked around for a while, hearing a nearby clock chime several times as an hour passed. The three duffel bags weighed more than she expected as she finally arrived at the lake, sitting down. Out of all the things the headmistress said though, a singular word echoed most in her mind.

Stray.

That's what she was now, wasn't it? A familiar too weak to defend themselves. A sorry and pathetic excuse of a servant. Maybe she'd told Livia that she wouldn't be happy with anyone else ... but that was only a sign of her reliance, wasn't it? Someone so emotionally attached that they refused to improve on their own?

And besides, what sort of idiot would accept her anyways? She had no skills outside of some minor natural senses and making things look pretty ... there was plenty of stories like her own: adorable, young, defenseless, and cute familiars abandoned or kicked out when they became too annoying, useless, or the owner simply got tired of them. Maoin had always ignored them, but there were several of the sad stories around as she went to class wasting away in some nearby ally.

Of course, the kitten had always believed herself above them. But ultimately, she'd been abandoned without even a 'goodbye'. And now here she was. A stray.

She sat down onto the beach, looking out at the lake and remembering the fun they'd had when it had been frozen over, the snowballs, skating, and cookies afterwards. But ... it wasn't meant to be, was it? The kitten pulled on her own ears out of frustration, and she wasn't even sure with who.

And despite her best attempt, she pulled her knees to her chest and started crying, shaking softly as she blamed herself, blamed her lady, blamed the headmistress, and then denying any of this had ever happened, that this was all somehow a really bad dream and she was in a coma or knocked out or ...

Just a worthless stray.

As Kathrine called the doll a slave, the phoenix looked up at her with a slight look of fear, and immediately placed the thing away from her. "... I ... I have a vase ... for that ..."

What if there was people trapped in those things, forever bound to serve or be tortured? Fia knew what that was like, and reminders of the past were horrifying. And besides, if that was the case their will would be so far broken that they couldn't be trusted as anything but an extension of the woman in front of her.

"... let ... let them go ..." Perhaps it was a moment of bravery, but she was in Livia's house. The woman was likely somehow present, watching over this.

[Pyromania99]

Eith, The Shellagh Alpha

Eith definitely did not expect the kick to her shins. She yipped in back and lost he balance from the strike. Swen's cantrip didn't help the situation either as it knocked the duo over, Miren going down as Eith had a grip on her. Survival instincts told Eith to not let go. For Miren's sake however, Eith turned so her back would hit the ground. . . But struck her head with a resounding thud. She'd be fine, but she definitely wouldn't get up immidiately. She definitely lost conciousness, releasing her hold on the bunny. "Noooooo, I wan. . . stea. . . k. . ." She was speaking in her sleep.

#5 and Katherine Lindall

"Katherine Lindall release her servants? When I die maybe. Not that I really have a choice at that point." Katherine joked before laughing at it. "I think it's safe to assume you've no understanding of how this works at all. . . Do you?" Katherine asked, though didn't wait for an actual answer. "No, of course you don't. You've hardly been here long enough to learn your own strength methinks. Very well, take a seat and let Miss Lindall teach you." The teacher beckoned over her doll. "Come here, #5 dear." The woman said, before the doll walked over and the woman picked it up.

"Now, I hope you don't mind a little. . . Out of body experience." The doll shook it's head. "Wonderful." She cupped her hand around its head before pinching something out. Fia at this point, might have felt a slight chill, perhaps an uncomfortable feeling. If she were attuned enough, she might see a slight puff of smoke or something similar at Katherine's fingers, meanwhile the doll went limp. "Now then, Fia dear, this is what we call a lost soul. Well, its not so much lost I guess, but naming conventions." The puppeteer said with a slight shrug. She might be improvising a little bit here, but Fia wouldn't know that. Maybe. "Spirits of the Dead and whatnot. Typically, lost souls are floating spirits that have regrets or cannot accept their death. Some don't realize they're dead. Cliché isn't it? You might've heard this before."

Katherine practically shoved the puff of white back into the doll, and it looked as if it came back to life. "Those are what power these dolls. Along with my magical power of course. While I could control a doll 100% by myself, it's much too annoying, time consuming and likely to hurt my psyche. Well, and it would take too much of my resources to actually move for an extended time." The woman patted the doll on the head and set it on the ground where it just watched the two. "But, with a host soul, the soul can distribute my power for a fraction of the cost. In exchange for following me, they get a new chance at life and its almost as if they have a job. Everyone gets two days off a week, and most just sit around and watch. Everyone can see everything any of the others can, including me. It's like a telepathic link if you want to think of it that way." The teacher's face scrunched up slightly, questioning if that were the right wording and looked to the doll that nodded to which Katherine smiled.

"So, it's just like a transaction. I found their souls out in the marsh, I stuff them in a doll so they have a second chance at life with benefits. That said, if you believe it or not is up to you."

Mugi, the Yuki-Onna

Mugi touched the cup of tea first, chilling the tea to an appropriate teperature. As cold as she could before it became ice. That was the safest way for her to drink it after all. She took a sip of it, and her face lite up a bit. "Thanks, Cynthia. It's good." She wanted to spread out the drink so she took another sip and set it down before practicing more. "I suppose I should expect a maid to be good at such a thing though?" She wanted to poke fun at the maid, but wanted to take this tutoring session . . . As seriously as she could.

[Rune_Alchemist]

~Sorcha~

The dragon couldn't get comfortable in the bed. Try as she might, as comfortable as it was her body ached and she needed a nice, cool soak to help. She considered taking a bath, but the lake with its slightly magically charged waters helped more than a normal bath would. So she spent a few minutes after Luna left putting on her armor. While she had no reservations going out without a shred of clothing, she didn't want to make more work for Luna in case she couldn't get home on her own. She didn't want to worry her any more than was needed. Besides, it was just a flesh wound, as they say.

After donning her armor, Sorcha moved to the window and opened it. She could fly there, certainly. She had flown longer distances with worse health before. She could easily cover the distance between here and the lake without any trouble. For about the first half of the flight, barring some shortness of breath she managed to easily make a good effort between gliding and flying. About halfway there though, she began to regret her decision a bit, but she was a stubborn old dragon, and wasn't about to let some ailment get the best of her so easily.

Flying lower to the ground, the dragon decided to walk the rest of the way there. At least, that was her intention before one of her wings suddenly gave out. With a brief yelp, the dragon fell, slamming into the ground near the lake and rather comically skidding across the ground, tumbling a few times before coming to a halt, laying face down a few feet away from a familiar kitten.

"Oooh...not one of my better landings..." She groaned. Ugh, that was not very good for her current condition. Really, she wanted to lay there a few minutes and catch her breath a bit but the faint sound of sobbing caught her ears. Well that wasn't good. Who could possibly be sobbing on a rather fine day like this? Sorcha lifted her head, resting her body as best she could on her arms. She recognized Maoin almost instantly.

"Moain?...whatever are you crying for?" Despite the obvious tiredness and somewhat strained voice the dragon spoke with, it was clear she was definitely concerned.

~Cynthia~

Cynthia simply looked away from Mugi, unable to say anything. It was nothing really - as she said, it was her job to be good at this sort of thing. Which made it somewhat difficult to make anything sort of...special, for Mugi for this little tutoring session. Not that she wanted too, of course, but it was her job to provide the best care and service possible. As such, it always made it difficult to seem like she actually cared sometimes, or she was just doing what she was trained too.

Granted, she didn't exactly care for most people aside from the headmistress, but still.

She turned her head back to Mugi, finally having decided on a question. She had said yesterday they should get to know each other a bit more, so a small question like this shouldn't be difficult.

"I've never been to the eastern countries...what are they like?"

~Miren~

"S-steak?!" Miren shouted as Eith came crashing down. She knew it! This mutt just wanted to eat her delicious chocolatey bunny buns! The rabbit worked her way away Eith quickly, scrambling across the floor over to her desk. Well, at least the mutt seemed to have hit her head and was out of it for a bit which meant she could go about doing her job. She pushed herself up, sighing tiredly as she opened the drawer in the desk and retrieved the key.

"A-ahem...Sorry for that but I just can't really...handle dogs that well. I'm sure she meant no harm, but...bad experiences since I was a little bun bun." With that, Miren walked over to the doors and unlocked them, the magical enchantments protecting the section dissipating as the key turned. "Ahem - now, since you've been in there before I assume you don't need me to tell you the rules." With a stretch, she walked back over to the desk and took a seat.

"I'll have someone erm, make sure the...Shellagh? Is alright. I have a lot of work to do but if you need anything feel free to ask."