It was only natural for everyone to crowd around the new Magical Girl, whether it be offering advice or console to Nessie. Understandably, her life would be changed by choice or chance with only her newfound fellow Magical Girls to guide her along the journey.
Magical Girl. The very phrase was perhaps foreign to the Scott but whatever notions she had conceived previously were challenged and tested now. Magic was very much real as Nessie discovered, and so too were the horrendous, horrible things that went bump in the night.
By Lumière’s efforts and insistence, the common agreement latched onto moving away from the construction site and towards Marrywell Academy. It was there where all of Nessie’s answers would be given. Naturally, the schoolgrounds that also served as the headquarters for the Grand Ministry bustled with activity and quite a sight to see when the group eventually reached their destination. That was to be expected because morning had long since come with an early sun high in the sky. Although every person on grounds was a Magical Girl, from staff to student, senior to junior, education was still an important part of their lives.
Thus, it was to be to no surprise that the open grounds were filled with students moving about, chatting in their own little worlds with each other not too different from the night group. Some girls gave the arriving Magical Girls a nod with sympathetic looks for pulling an all-nighter. Others watched curiously at the appearance of Nessie, very much curious of another that joined their ranks. More stares and passing looks came about to some of the other girls as well, as it turned out quite a few were newly joining Marrywell Academy in addition to Nessie.
But some of the looks were filled with a very obvious disdain aimed at the group. Some girls sharpened their features when they noticed Wilhelmina was among them. Those Magical Girls with Altered Grimoires were always treated with some distance compared to their more traditional counterparts, even outside of the Grand Ministry. Within its walls, it was no different. Passing whispers mentioning Wilhelmina’s name bubbled up here and there with some girls finding it off-putting having an Alter so close to the new girls. Ironically, their perceptions on the matter might have changed were they aware of Olivia’s own status as such-
“Hey, stop right there!”
“G-Get back here!”
“Miss Clementine, please slow down!”
The ordinary normalcy that came with the day-to-day beckons of school life were shattered by loud commotion and the heavy footfalls of running; no, sprinting. A red blur dashed through the school’s open courtyards, kicking up dust where she went. Just behind her were three students with a professional look about them who all waved around papers madly at their target.
“Miss Clementine, for the last time, you cannot afford to reject another teaching position! That’s the fifth one this week!”
“That’s the twentieth one this month!”
“That’s the hundredth this year!”
“Girls, girls, I keep telling you, I’m totally not the best for whatever crammed classroom gig you think I’m capable of. Now excuse me while I take the time to admire our lovely school scenery. Ah yes, that’s a nice bush-”“Miss Clementine!” all three girls screeched.
Charlotte Clementine winced and covered her ears at the rise in volume. She leapt over benches and dashed through grass and small ponds to avoid the heels of responsibility.
“Guys come on; you really think I’m cut out for this teaching business? Not to mention, really not a good look for you all chasing around a teacher in front our new budding students. Tsk tsk.”Her direction changed trajectory, coming right for Camelot and Lumière’s group of Magical Girls. Charlotte skidded to a stop for just a brief moment to give the group a flaring grin and a wink.
“Hi there, bye there, if they ask anything, tell em you didn’t see nothing, yeah?”With two hands over her head and arms erect high, Clementine bent her knees and leapt forward into the nearest bush beside the group. Like a diver to the ocean, she landed into the bush seamlessly with only the rustle of leaves to indicate her presence and…departure?
“Huuuuuuuh? Where did she go!?!” the three girls clamored. They all but barreled into the returning group and tumbled into the bush to tear it apart. But try as they might, Charlotte was nowhere in sight.