FlitterFaux

Mordhaben's Institute for Aspiring Mages [Gaslamp Fantasy] [Completely Dead]

I'm sorry things aren't going well for you and I understand. Will keep your spot open if anything changes for the better in the future :3 Goodbye for now, but best wishes to you

Mordhaben's Institute for Aspiring Mages [Gaslamp Fantasy] [Completely Dead]

Bawen Coridell & Emilya Vance

FlitterFaux & @ghastlyInc

---

Emilya exited through the cafeteria doors, holding them open for Bawen. She guided the boy to the opposite side of the building the other student had stormed off toward. She hoped she would not have to interfere there. Shaking her head Emilya took a good look at Bawen, toes to head, lingering on his eyes. She didn't like what she saw; his posture, body language, and expressions alone told a sad story she hoped she was wrong about. After a few silent moments she spoke, her tone neutral, almost conversational. Her eyes never left his.

"How is your father?"

Bawen frowns, considering the question, and its odd air of loadedness. "He is well." He says, deciding the simplist response is the safest. "Am I to presume you know him personally or simply through reputation?" he added, preparing to correct whatever misconceptions she may have about the Coridell family methods.

"Personally." Emilya noted Bawen's caution, but wasn't yet sure if that caution was bourne of concern for the family reputation or something else. "Though I haven't seen him in... a decade or so, now? He never mentioned having a son, but I may be acting presumptuous, thinking he'd tell me something personal like that. Still, I was surprised to hear your name." She paused, watching the boy's eyes carefully and offering him a chance to speak if he so chose. Her expression was much gentler now then it had been earlier.

There is a small flash of suprise across the chimera's face for a moment, but it is quietly squashed. It was rare for him to meet someone who knew his father outside of professionally. Harkin Coridell, for all his virtues, was not a man who had many friends. "The estate has been very busy since the war. More so since the empire decided to not accept us as a protectorate." He says. "And it is unsuprising. He was not fully aware of my existence until after the war. I was not formally granted the name until seven years ago. He has another, if you are any way interested. With any luck, Young Master Dorill will be in your lecture halls before too long." He adds, remebering with some mild amusement how excited his brother was when he heard Bawen would be attending school.

Emilya nodded as Bawen spoke. "I see, that makes sense then." She caught something like a brief sparkle in his eyes when he first spoke of his younger brother, Dorill, and she smiled at that. "I look forward to meeting him then. However, for the moment..." She let her smile fall away before she continued. "...I would like to focus on you." She paused briefly again, giving Bawen another opportunity to speak.

The chimera gives Emilya a curiuos look. A somewhat more difficult task than he thought it would be, considering their height difference. But more pressingly, she seemed to be acting strangely friendly for what, he had assumed, to be a dressing down of his behavior in the cafeteria. "In what regard ma'am?" He asks, voice once again going flat as he prepared for an assumed verbal ambush.

Emilya spoke gently and tried to come across as non threatening, sensing Bawen was withdrawing into himself. "It's all right. I've already made it clear what the school's views on certain behaviors are. I just want you to tell me, in your own words, what exactly happened. Start to finish please."

Bawen relaxes a little, grunting in confirmation. There is an awkward moment of silence as he collects his thoughts on what had transpired in the cafeteria. "Simply put, it was rather harmless initally." He begins, "I ran afoul of a rather...unpalletable student. Condemed him for his poor public behavior and sat down else where. Apparently the young lady was disturbed by our outburst and was polite enough to bring her discomfort to my attention." He pauses for a moment, confusion marring his face. "Then the young man apparently felt I needed his assitance for some reason. I believe he used magic to deter her, but to be honest it caught me off guard as much as her. As for the other chimera.... Luke Anus? I think he was just looking to fight something." Quietly, the sheep boy manages to grumble something about 'filthy blooded barbarian', though it's doubtful that was part of his testimony.

Emilya did not need magic to see that Bawen's perception and values were skewed, alarmingly so. Listening to what he said and how he said it she could tell he saw nothing wrong with the racially charged insult he had used. If she was reading him correctly he also saw nothing wrong with the actions of the two Brovak had dealt with. However, watching as carefully as she was, Emilya did not miss the subtle expressions on Bawen's face as he spoke of any other chimera.

This boy clearly viewed chimera as being inferior to humans, and for her it was no mystery as to where he might have gotten such an idea. She raised an eyebrow at the butchering of the other student's name but made no comment. More concerning was his muttered comment he had failed to keep entirely to himself. She considered her next words carefully.

"Why do you think so many reacted so strongly as quickly as they did in that situation? Please explain as thoroughly and as accurately as you can."

"People generally take exception when people scream about the fellowship of soldiers in public with all the subtly of a dying star." He says, flatly. "Especially when it comes from someone who should know better. That said, I was probably not as quiet in chastising him as I should have been."

Emilya was silent for a long moment, partially lost in old memories and partially assessing Bawen's thought process. "Tell me, if it had been a human doing the shouting would you have reacted any differently? What would you have said in such a case?"

"Forgoing the fact that a human wouldn't behave in such a manner..." He begins, crossing his arms and considering the question for a few moments. "I likely would have said nothing. To do so in such a situation would would be beyond my station. But as I said..." He huffs for emphasis, the noise bleeding over into a subtle breathless trill. "It is a moot point. A human would not have debased themselves in such an incredible display of cognitive impairment."

At that Emilya felt she understood the situation more than adequately. Her expression became notably sad and she looked at the ground briefly as unpleasant life lessons came to mind. "Bawen Coridell. I have witnessed far more disgraceful behavior from humans. From my own brother. From myself." She locked eyes with the boy as she continued. "Even from your own father. Do you honestly think humans are above chimera?"

Bawen stared at her silently for a moment, face flat and composed. He had been concerned this line of questioning was going somewhere uncomfortable, though now the woman's goal seemed crystal clear to him. He had to commend the professor; he hadn't been expecting her to test him like this so early.
"Absolutely." He says, voice ringing with a confidence that could have only come from practice. "Our origin is deplorable nor are we in any way a natural inhabitant of this planet. There is no conclusion to draw but inferiority. One need only observe the fact that subsequent generations of halfbreeds trend towards human features. If one can look upon a seventh generation chimera and not draw the logical conclusion that humanity is the optimal form for sentient life, then there is no helping them." He adds with a small puff of pride.

Emilya's face barely twitched before becoming unreadable. She had heard almost those exact words before, and they had the same effect now as the first time she'd heard them.

"Have you ever considered the possibility that your father may be wrong about humans and chimeras?"

"Occasionally the idea strikes me. But normally I'm able to see reason after a few minutes of self reflection." He adds primly. "It cant be helped really, considering I am one. The bias comes naturally."

Emilya shook her head slowly and sighed. There was a lot of deeply rooted damage, more than she could handle alone. Years of this one idea that chimera were inferior being drilled into the boy's head would not be easy to heal.

"The tour will be starting any moment now, so we'll have to shelf this conversation for the moment. However, if you need to talk I'll make myself available. I am going to need to send you to a friend of mine. Her name is Leonora Serannen, and she's a staff member here at the Institute as well. You need help Mr. Coridell, and I believe Miss Serannen can provide that help. I'm afraid I must insist you see her regularly, at least once a week. Is this understood?"

Bawen frowned, tempted to object to the order, but he nodded obediently. "Very well Professor. Though I fail to see the need for additional staff assistance." He says tone once again flat so to not risk further offense. "Nor as to why I specifically need help. But if it will put you at ease, consider it done ma'am." He elects to remain silent as they continued, now thoroughly confused.

"I hope in time these things will become clear to you." Emilya reached up and placed a hand on Bawen's shoulder. She looked about to say something else when the doors to the cafeteria opened and the students began pouring out. Hans also emerged, a concerned look on his face.

She retracted her hand, albeit reluctantly, and adopted her usual professional demeanor. "It seems we're out of time for the moment. Please rejoin the group Mr. Coridell. And remember to check your comments before voicing them."

Emilya stepped away from Bawen letting him rejoin the group. Hans walked slowly to her, but did not say a word when he caught sight of the subtle look in his sister's eyes. Instead he stood next to her silently, waiting for the students to pass by. For her part Emilya kept her expression in check enough that she did not disturb anyone that looked her way. She took note of the other students involved in the incident and was satisfied to see their attitudes were acceptably subdued for now. As the last students passed by the pair hung back.

"Emilya?" Hans asked at last.

The tiny professor's facade of self restraint fell and she glared darkly in the direction of the tour group, though her actual feelings were not directed towards anyone present. Her fists clenched as she began to explain. "That was Harkin Coridell's boy. Fight nearly broke out thanks to some racially charged comment from the boy... directed at another young chimera over some apparently loud and obnoxious behavior, but otherwise...

"Ah, I see now. Harkin. So he couldn't escape the old man's poison in the end. With luck maybe the boy at least can escape the cycle."

"Luck, and a lot of work. Too many students coming to us damaged these days. I think I need to pay our old friend a visit.

"Ah, you two always were an inch from eachothers throats half the time. Please don't make it personal if you can help it."

"It's not about me and Harkin, Hans. Well, not primarily. It's about the boy. Bawen Coridell."

Mordhaben's Institute for Aspiring Mages [Gaslamp Fantasy] [Completely Dead]

Emilya Vance

@ghastlyInc @pkken @Jay Kalton

---

"Mr. Coridell that kind of talk will not be tolerated here. The same goes for you Mr. Murdoc. Furthermore you are not required to be sorry for how you feel but you will be held accountable for your decisions. This includes threatening another student. Both of you need to exercise better self control in the future. Consider this a warning."

Though she did not state the fact itself, it was not hard to figure out that there would be no second warning.

Emilya took a moment to scan the surrounding area. Her eyes became briefly unfocused while she used her own Vision magic to see for herself exactly what had happened. When they came into focus again they were locked on Mallory and Emilya's harsh expression softened. She even smiled slightly and nodded to the girl. "I appreciate your attempt to defuse the situation, as well as your good judgement in not using magic to do so."

She glanced across the room to where professor Brovak and the other two students were. A darker, somewhat concerned look crossed her face. She knew now that the boy who had stepped in to try and control the fight with magic was a Breckenridge, and his breach of the rules, however well intentioned, came as something of a shock. Another concern entirely was how much attention Brovak was showing Alexander and the girl that had initially taken the situation too far. Normally he could care less as long as he fulfilled the bare minimum of his duty as a member of staff.

She decided to look into this later and turned her attention back to the students around her.

"Finish your meals, then. The tour of school grounds will begin shortly. Not you, Mr. Coridell. We need to have a few words in private." With that Emilya walked towards the cafeteria entrance, expecting the boy to follow.

---

Yrhen

@hagroden @Azereiah

---

Yrhen tried her hardest to ignore the boy that had come up alongside her, the very same that had disabled her arm. Her nearly ever present scowl deepened and she refused to look at the boy or stop moving.

Why did he have to follow me? Just go away!

She did not get her wish as he started talking, trying to... reassure her? Apologize? Explain the psychology of the boy she had hit? It seemed a kind and well intentioned effort but she was very much not in the mood for any of it at this point. He sounded honest enough but she was far too shaken internally to entertain any amount of trust.

She was about to tell him off when a disturbance in the air near her head alerted her to the fact that someone had managed to get in close right behind her. Far too close and a hand was coming down on her shoulder. Her instinctive reaction was to whip around and strike whoever it was as hard as she could. However, as the hand clapped down on her shoulder she froze in place. There was something very wrong with that hand. She felt no heat from it, though it moved as if it belonged to a person. Not only that but those fingers felt unnaturally thin with almost no padding to them.

Her head snapped around to see who or what could possibly have a hand like that, and she found herself even more deeply upset at the 'face' behind her. It was the bandaged and goggled face of the staff member she had seen approaching them, and his presence was especially disturbing this close, with his unnatural hand touching her. The professor's voice made it even worse. Her sense of nausea was suddenly much worse and it took all her energy to repress her shaking and the urge to vomit. She crossed her arms tightly across her chest, or as tightly as she could with one half dead, and looked away from them, glaring death at nothing in particular.

It was very difficult to focus on the professor's words with his cold hand on her shoulder but she got the gist that he was chewing out this boy, Alexander Breckenridge, pretty hard. Apparently using magic at all was against the rules, at least in the way it had gone down. On top of that the professor's assessment of nerve control magic did nothing to make her feel better.

I would have been in my rights to kill him in self defense? He must be exaggerating. I hope he's exaggerating...

By the time Brovak handed each of them the cards and released them from his grip Yrhen was grinding her teeth. The absence of Brovak's hand was like the freshest breath of air after being trapped in a small room breathing engine fumes. Deciding she was absolutely finished with being touched today she quickly walked the rest of the way to the cafeteria doors and slammed them open. Once outside she took a sharp turn and picked up her pace, looking for any secluded area where she could take a moment to catch her breath and calm down.

Rounding the corner of the building she found a space that was good enough for now; there were no people around anyway and she was not very visible from most angles. She leaned back against the wall, closed her eyes, and took a deep shuddering breath. Opening her eyes again she unbuttoned the glove of her partially numb hand and had a look underneath. She grimaced and shivered in the cold morning air.

Mordhaben's Institute for Aspiring Mages [Gaslamp Fantasy] [Completely Dead]

The Professors Vance

@HokumPocus

---

Emilya lifted a hand as casually as possible when Mark exploded with unchecked enthusiasm. She fought to stifle the urge to laugh, not wanting to unintentionally insult the boy. Even Hans was surprised at the verbose young man though he recovered faster than his sister in this case. His welcoming smile returned and he nodded at the young chimera.

"I'm sure you'll do just fine here, recruit. Ah, the opening ceremony should be starting... shortly."

Hans had turned at the sound of the doors opening but the unexpected scene caused a break in his speech. As his smile fell away Emilya lost any previous desire to laugh. Instead she seemed to be scowling at one of her fellow professors in particular. Both siblings seemed particularly relieved when the ceremony moved on. As the students were guided towards the cafeteria the Vances waited and took up position behind the group making sure no one was left behind. Emilya addressed Hans without taking her eyes off the students.

"That boy is going to be a handful."

"Like someone else we know."

"Tch. Exactly."

---

Emilya and Brovak

Cafeteria
@pkken @ghastlyInc

---

The Vances were deep in conversation with a group of students over the exact relationship between the school and the military when Emilya heard something that sounded like an altercation between students. She turned to look in the direction of the disturbance and was met with a wall of bodies blocking her view. She tried to see around the horde of students without having to find higher ground but to no avail. However, she did take note of professor Brovak casually making his way towards the general direction of the shouting.

Emilya groaned and rolled her eyes, knowing Brovak only bothered to interfere when his duties as a staff member absolutely mandated he do something. Excusing herself Emilya stalked over to Brovak, her heels clacking loudly against the hard floor. She drew abreast of the thin, shrouded man, still unable to see what was happening thanks to her diminutive height.

"What exactly is going on over there? I can't see a damn thing but if you're on your feet..."

Brovak replied as the pair walked along. He really should have been moving faster initially, but the situation had already resolved itself. Mostly, at least. "Some insensitive remarks by one of the new students upset quite a few people, one of whom retaliated. Another student used nerve control magic to stop what I imagine could have turned into a real fight. Admirable, but a dangerous move and even more against the rules than merely slapping someone, as I understand it."

Emilya's face soured considerably as professor Brovak relayed what had happened. "And you're just walking over to deal with- oh nevermind. I'll take it from here."

Brovak continued walking as though he hadn't heard Emilya trying to take control. "Yes. I am. The situation has resolved itself on its own, but I still need to hand out office referrals. If you could make sure that Bawen Coridell and Lucannus Murdoc are alright, I would appreciate it. I'll deal with the other two."

"Fine, fine. Just pick up the pace please? Before something else happens."

With that Emilya made a beeline for the two students on their feet. She stopped just short of the two and took a close look at both of them through narrowed eyes. When she spoke her tone of voice made it clear she was not pleased and would not tolerate any further breach of the rules.

"Names."

Mordhaben's Institute for Aspiring Mages [Gaslamp Fantasy] [Completely Dead]

Yrhen Oharra

Cafeteria
@hagroden @pkken @ghastlyInc

---

Having made her decision she expected a fight. At the very least she expected some resistance or harsh words in response to striking someone full on in the face. If she had any hopes it would be for her actions to get through to this boy, to make him think about what he said. But what she got was...

Nothing.

He looked at her but in his eyes she could see nothing. He spoke, saying the words she might have hoped to hear, but they sounded hollow. It was as if they were just sounds that had no meaning. He made no move to retaliate or defend himself, in fact he was practically a ragdoll in her grip. She might have thought he was being sarcastic and mocking her if it had not been for these things. As it was Yrhen felt terribly unsettled.

I call him worthless... and he honestly agreed with me? There really is something wrong with him. Something far worse than I thought. I feel like no matter how many times I hit him or how much I shout at him... none of it will ever get through. It's like he's... Yrhen had to suppress a physical shudder as the thought occured to her. It's like he's dead inside. Pity and a deeper disgust mixed with her anger as she imagined what could have happened to this boy to make him like this, and her grip loosened just barely.

But her fingers tightened again as she saw a very tall boy stand up and turn his attention on her, demanding she let the one in front of her go immediately. Her first instinct was to tell him to fuck off but the words never left her throat as she met his eyes. When on a hunt Yrhen sometimes ran face first into some very dangerous monsters, either chasing down prey or evading some other threat. There was always a split second when that monster met your eyes and it realized exactly what you were. It was a terrifying and critical moment where you either ran, took the initiative and attacked, or died. This boy was looking at her with eyes like that and it was an internal struggle to hold her ground against her instincts.

This was a mistake. She braced herself as he clearly started to use some kind of magic. She expected some kind of weak attack, almost certainly something that wouldn't be too dangerous to use in this crowd. She felt certain he wouldn't be using anything that could seriously hurt her and she was determined to just take it without flinching. However, nothing could have prepared her for her arm going almost entirely numb and losing all function. She understood the implications of what happened instantly and she felt absolute terror in that moment.

He just shut down part of my body!

Yrhen took a step back from both the small horned boy and the tall one that had so casually disrupted an integral part of her. She clutched her arm tightly to her torso as the nerves, imperfectly affected, felt like they were going ballistic. She glared at the tall one desperately trying to cover any signs of fear, though there was very little she could do about her sudden sweating. Whoever this boy was Yrhen could only see him now as a threat unlike any she had encountered before. And like any other walking, talking threat she refused to show any weakness if she could help it.

Whether it was because she had backed off or he was just satisfied he had done enough he stepped between the two of them and his expression softened. He started talking in a soft voice completely at odds with her perception of him so far. This was even more upsetting than if he had kept looking at her coldly. It was eerie even, since he now reminded her of someone she knew. His expression, body language, way of speaking, and even his build and many of his features were not unlike her own grandfather. After what had happened this especially did not sit well with her, and at this point she was starting to feel nauseous.

She didn't have much time to consider his words and what to do next due to someone coming up behind her. Getting the sense of being surrounded Yrhen reflexively turned and dodged away from them both. She looked between the savior of the boy she had gone after and the newcomer that had been behind her. Apparently this guy also had a problem with the little hollow racist behind the grey haired sumaritan. It looked like he wanted to pick up where she had left off in a bad way. It was a strange sight, the newcomer, a tailed chimera himself, was dead set on teaching the tiny chimera a lesson, while a human stood between him and his target.

How absurd. Chimera at each others throats and a human is the one to stand up for that... that living piece of wreckage.

Glancing away briefly Yrhen noticed one of the professors slowly making their way over, as if there was no need to rush. She turned away from the scene she herself had started and walked away, back toward the cafeteria entrance. The whole thing had been pointless in the end, and now she just very much wanted to put distance between herself and the boy that had disabled her arm. Normal sensation had started to gradually return but the incident had her shaking at this point. The last thing she needed was for anyone to notice that.

If he had been even a little off target and got any part of my torso...

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Great :3 Welcome to the fun

Mordhaben's Institute for Aspiring Mages [Gaslamp Fantasy] [Completely Dead]

Yrhen Oharra

Rail Station

---

The train station was mostly deserted save for a few railway personel and one unimpressive individual wearing what might roughly be considered a generic military uniform. The small figure had their arms crossed and tapped one foot impatiently, glaring at a much taller man operating a nearby telephone. This man seemed to be having an uncomfortable conversation with the person on the other end, and the mounting irritation of the one waiting on him only made things more unpleasant. With a 'yes sir' and an apology for the trouble the man on the phone finally hung up and turned to the person that had been waiting on that particular call. He opened his mouth and began to relay what he had been told, trying to work in an apology while he spoke.

"You're cleared to keep the rifle on your person as long as it remains unloaded at all times. I'm sorry for the delay, miss-"

"Finally!"

The waiting Yrhen Oharra, a young woman who was not at all a soldier despite her choice of dress, interrupted the man before he could even finish speaking. She stepped forward and snatched up her prized 13mm anti armor rifle as the older man recoiled from her abrupt and aggressive approach. She slung the oversized gun over her shoulder and picked up her duffel bag with her free hand. With one last scathing look at the man she abruptly turned and set off at a very brisk walk. He watched her go and shook his head.

"When did kids get so scary? I hope my daughter doesn't turn out like that."

---

Courtyard

---

Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit- ow! DAMMIT!! I cannot be late for my first day, I just can't. First impressions! What kind of a mage shows up late to where they need to be? Yrhen thought of numerous curses as she ran down the path towards Mordhaben's Institute for Aspiring Mages, most of them directed at the man that had held her up so long at the rails. She had already been dead last off the train in the first place; by the time approval to carry her rifle came, every other passenger was long gone to attend the opening ceremony. Besides not wanting to be late because it was a standard she held herself to, the ceremony itself was important. At least it was to her. Just as she intended to make a good impression on her soon to be mentors, she hoped the Institute would leave a good first impression on her, too.

Up ahead, at last, she could make out the intricate front gates and an open space just beyond. That's it! I made it! With a burst of adrenaline fueled speed she quickly covered the remaining distance and ran past the open gates into the courtyard beyond. The empty courtyard.

Too late.

She slowed to a stop, the only sound apart from the rain her own boots hitting the stonework. She stood there, alone, crestfallen. Looking around it was plain to see there was not so much as one person here, not even a staff member to wait for potential late arrivals. She was just that far behind. She had missed her chance. The best she could hope for was that missing the opening ceremony did not count as a negative mark on one's record. Yeah right. If I could be so lucky I would have made it here on time.

She sighed and felt the full effect of the chilly weather as the adrenaline seeped out of her. It was very uncomfortable actually. She guessed it was just above freezing out here and the rain made it feel even colder. Some of the raindrops were still frozen when they reached the ground, ticking against the stone and her hat. Even her heavy coat did little to protect her from the icy chill in the air. The fact that it was so cold in turn brought her attention to the flowers planted around the courtyard.

"In this? How?"

She walked towards the beautiful blossoms, setting her duffel bag down gently as she neared. There was an impressive array of flora present, most of it unfamiliar to her. Some were wildflowers she did recognize, however, and she knew most of those only bloomed this well in warmer months. She knew it had been closer to summer weather just a few days ago but even just one day of this temperature should see some of them wilting. That these were so vibrant and healthy could only mean magic was at work here. But how? Is the the air near them kept warmer? Or are they enhanced to handle the cold better? She held a gloved hand just over the flowers, trying to feel any difference in temperature through the leather.

It wasn't the air at all but it did feel slightly warmer closer to the flowers. Resisting the urge to remove her glove altogether she touched a bright pink petal. Her eyes widened slightly when she did so. The flower itself was warm, notably so compared to the air. And yet the courtyard was not blanketed in a thick fog, either. The gardeners here are amazing. Such skill and attention to detail... The slightest smile came to her face as she gently caressed the beautiful plants, and took in their sweet mixed scents. Oh well. I may have missed the ceremony, but as much as that sucks... I still have this moment all to myself. All in all? Good first impression, Mordhaben.

Groundskeeper Billy

---

The old, red-haired gardener stepped outside into the rain. A new student had entered the school grounds and after the staff were given an alert by the railroad platform, he was found to be the closest person. Some sort of mixup regarding weaponry had happened - most likely a new employee at the railroad station who wasn't yet informed that Institute applicants and students were permitted to carry weapons on the train. With a wave of his hand, the rain stopped - or rather, it started striking an invisible dome over the courtyard again.

The new student was fairly small and gave off an odd scent that nobody but a trained outdoorsman like himself would have caught. She was admiring his handiwork, sending a surge of personal pride through him. Not many people noticed the different breeds of flower and tree he had planted about the campus, and the tropical plants surviving in the courtyard were one of his greatest works.

"I see you like my work," he said to the new girl as he walked over, his back creaking with strain with each step. Despite the arthritis, he was lithe and fit and forced his way through the pain. "Arthesian Corpseflowers. Morbid name for a beautiful plant - you wouldn't believe the lengths I went to to get them to stop eating every squirrel that hops the fence. The skeletons were getting hard to clean up. 'Course, I still let them eat the moles and rats, heh!"

Yrhen noticed a distinct lack of icy rain hitting her head and back as it was quite sudden and not gradual. Curious, she looked up, only to see the rivulets starting to form thin waterfalls in midair. What is that? A solid magical dome or water flow control magic? She neither saw nor heard the groundskeeper approach, such was her fascination and certainty that she was alone.

Hearing the voice Yrhen let out a short gasp and shot to her feet. She turned to the speaker and delivered a sharp salute, just as her grandparents, retired military themselves, had taught her. Her reflexive reaction did not seem misplaced when she saw the man that had addressed her. Older, but still with brightly colored red hair. Hunched and using a cane, but towering and fit and undoubtedly an experienced mage. A mage with a sharp eye, assessing her as she assessed him. He seemed to be the groundskeeper from what he said, but from what she saw such a title seemed too simplistic, she would have guessed him to be one of the professors.

Billy gave the girl a careful lookover. Her scent suggested she wasn't quite what she seemed and his sharp eyes caught glimpses of tiny details that others would never notice. But he opted to say nothing.

"I was trying to analyze the magic behind the flora's preservation, sir. I mean, I think they are very aesthetically pleasing, and I think student's morale will be higher overall for the work you've done here. Yuck. I sound like one of those snotty elitists. Is it ok to say what I really think? If I don't behave or give the answers expected of me... But this is one of the staff here. He may already know about me. And besides, what artist doesn't want to know their work is appreciated? If we're alone it should be OK, just this once.

She looked all around, making sure no one else was in earshot or even within sight, then made her decision. She moved closer to the man so he could better hear her as she whispered.

"They're... abolutely gorgeous. Sir."

"Hah, thanks. Not every day a student pays attention to my handiwork. If you're that interested, I'll give you a hint - I use a magical construct to remotely feed a constant stream of heat into the plants here. Oh! You're new here, right?"

He checked his watch. The watch was frozen.

"Bah, forgot to wind it again... Here, take these."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of small bars of fruity gelatin with a thick, chewy texture. The wrappers read, 'Quickmag, the breakfast for mages on the go!', and were packed with protein, vitamins, and carbs. Nothing about the wrappers suggested they tasted good in any way whatsoever.

"I think there's supposed to be a tour today. How about we try to find where they are?"

Assuming the tour of the school would be starting soon she gratefully accepted the offered nutrition bars, and reverted back to her usual serious demeanor.

"Yes sir!" She snapped another salute at the groundskeeper before picking up her bag and following his lead. She was glad he had been here, she had no idea where she was supposed to be.

A real breakfast would have been nice. Oh well, I should be grateful I got anything at all with how things turned out. I wonder what kinds of things they serve at a prestigious school like this? Must be nutritious at least, military soldiers and magic users alike use a lot of energy, right? I just hope it's nothing too bland or artificial tasting. I wonder if they'll have-

Her train of thought was completely derailed as she unwrapped and bit into the allegedly fruit flavored bar. Her stern expression soured notably as the flavor assaulted her unprepared taste buds. In the end, she was happy to not immediately choke or spit it out. A look of grim determination settled on her face as she chewed, forced herself to swallow, and took another bite.

I swear to all that is worth a damn in this world, I will never let myself be late for a meal again.

---

Cafeteria

---

As the groundskeeper guided her through the main building Yrhen was awestruck by the architecture, both inside and out. As a country girl moving from one frontier town to the next she had never seen anything like this, certainly not in person anyway. For a moment, when she entered the grand circular room, she was stunned and her eyes widened in wonder at the sheer beauty of the room. She stopped where she was and slowly turned in place, taking in every detail she could see, right down to the subtle yet intricate carvings on the staircase railings.

Noticing her guide was patiently waiting for her she hurried over to where he was, ducking her head to hide her face. She followed him through the next set of doors outside to a street and a brick building which looked almost out of place considering the craftsmanship behind her. Immediately she noticed many different smells faintly drifting on the light breeze, all of them delicious. It seemed she might not have missed breakfast at all and she felt something akin to deep regret having suffered through that wretched QuikMag bar a moment ago.

"Huh. Cafeteria smells pretty good - guess breakfast is later than usual today... And to think you just ate one of those foul things. Heh."

No kidding. I almost feel like throwing up, but that would still be a waste of what I assume are still good nutrients. Maybe there will be something good enough inside to help wipe away the memory.

Wishing her guide a good day Yrhen braced herself and pushed open the doors to the cafeteria. Once inside Yrhen had to take some time to collect herself, even though she had mentally prepared herself. There were more people than she had expected and the inside was terribly claustrophobic. It was like the train itself only she doubted she would be able to find a comfortable spot to sit by herself. Then there was the smell and sight of all that food, laid out like a festival by her standards and of such variety she had never known. She couldn't help but salivate upon setting foot inside, especially when a rare and very welcome scent caught her attention among the menagerie of other smells.

Is that...?

She found herself moving towards the section of the cafeteria that had all of the Airelosian cuisine, following her nose. Once there she easily picked out what she was looking for among the various seafoods and noodle dishes of the neighboring nation. She quickly grabbed a tray and jabbed a finger at what she wanted, glad that most of the people here had already come through and gotten their food.

"The Coraque blue cheese, as much as I'm allowed to have."

As soon as the pungent cheese was piled on her tray Yrhen set off towards another section of the cafeteria, intending to see just how many rare samples from around the world were actually being served. The fact that Coraque, a rare cheese from an entirely different nation, was here had her excited about what else she could possibly find. Unfortunately that excitement died quite quickly as she overheard someone nearby.

”Never in a thousand years, you worthless half breed.”

Yrhen stopped in midstride, her already unfriendly expression hardening into something closer to intense hatred. It wasn't unusual for her to overhear such things, nor was it unusual that it pissed her off every time. She looked over to get a look at the speaker, expecting to see the all too familiar scene of a human harassing a chimera. She was instead shocked to see a third or fourth generation chimera was the one calling another chimera half-breed.

What the hell?! Is that piece of shit putting down his own kind?! Where the fuck does he get off? She shook her head and turned away from the scene as the horned boy went to go sit at a table with people that looked completely human. Disgusting. Fucking disgusting. It's not like things aren't bad enough between humans, monsters, and chimeras. Now it's even so bad that chimera hate each other? Half the people in here are one generation or another. Fuck it, whatever! Not any of my business.

She took a few steps toward the next line before stopping again. I've lost my appetite... Slamming her tray down on the nearest table Yrhen whipped around and stalked toward the horned boy who turned out to be shorter than she was. Grabbing him by the collar she hauled him to his feet and turned him to face her. Still holding him in place with one arm Yrhen drew back her other hand and slapped him as hard as she could across the face.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! Have you even looked in a mirror lately?! You're just as much a 'half-breed' as he is! But as far as I'm concerned you're the only worthless one I see here."

@ghastlyInc

Mordhaben's Institute for Aspiring Mages [Gaslamp Fantasy] [Completely Dead]

I wish you well in your endeavors, thanks for letting us know.

Mordhaben's Institute for Aspiring Mages [Gaslamp Fantasy] [Completely Dead]

A question for everyone: How would y'all feel about a kinda spooky side adventure first night at the school? You can let me know on discord I'm just posing the question here so everyone can see

Mordhaben's Institute for Aspiring Mages [Gaslamp Fantasy] [Completely Dead]

The Professors Vance

@HokumPocus

---

Of the four professors waiting in the courtyard, the two with their faces covered barely afforded the young chimera a glance before going back to their quiet conversation. In fact the one in the burnt orange hood and his face wrapped in bandages seemed to be chuckling to himself after seeing Mark. Fortunately for the student currently locked in salute, Professor Hans Vance was not so cold. The enormous older man turned a warm smile on Mark and returned his salute.

"At ease, recruit."

Next to him the girl that looked barely over ten raised an eyebrow and craned her neck to look up at the big man. Hastily she had to snatch at her oversized hat lest it drop to the ground. She sighed and shook her head before addressing Mark herself.

"Welcome to Mordhaben's Institute young man, no need to be so formal just yet. The Administrator is running behind schedule somewhat due to... unforseen complications. I am Professor Emilya Vance and this is my younger brother, Hans. I hope your time here will be productive and rewarding mister...?"