Magical Teacher Professor Landry! - Episode 4: The Lady in White

[Riin Whitewind]

"…excuse me, Miss Sao?" Before Kohana could reply, the boy Sieg spoke up, one hand raised toward her. Sao opened her eyes, fixing him with her gaze. The intensity of her attention seemed to cause him to falter. "I…well – the Spirits that is – they…" He struggled to get the words out, face flushed a brilliant red.

Straightening her posture, the undine lowered her hands. "Please continue, Sieg." Her voice was gentle and cajoling. "I am listening." She glanced at Kohana, assessing his reaction as well as relieving the pressure of her attention from Sieg. For someone so strong, his persona was so fragile. It rattled, brittle, at the gentlest wave.

"I…don't know why." He avoided her eyes, attention fixed on the ground below. "But…the spirits are saying whatever you're planning is..." For a second, his violet eyes met hers, arresting Sao in their inhuman depths, "...dangerous." He paused to take a breath, lowering his gaze. "Don't know why, but I don't think you should do it." Sieg added, mumbling softly.

Keeping her voice low, Sao spoke. "Thank you for the warning." Her smile was friendly, "Do the spirits say what about it is dangerous? Knowing would go a long way to migitate that danger." She let her fingers dangle in the pool, watching the water ripple and dance.

The healer continued while Sieg collected himself, a slight edge to her voice. "She does not glory me, my altar devoid of sacrifices." From her tone, it was obvious Sao was refering to Diana. "Her friends and family I owe no favors, they are not spirits under my protection. I am not under any obligation to aid her."

"I do not wish to endanger myself or my companions. However, what rides Diana cannot go without answer." She shivered, despite the warmth of the steam-laden air. Fear crept into her voice against her will. Just the image of it, a bruise on her mind - She blinked rapidly to force away her vision, "It is a danger to all. It hates, it hungers, and it slavers against Diana's frame. It is not content with just one to feed upon."

An air of steely resolve settled around her, dispelling the gloom that had begun to settle over the trio. Fists clenched, her gaze was piercing, hazel eyes afire with purpose. "I cannot allow it to walk freely upon this earth. I will find a way to send it back, or destroy it."

[Steel Shadow]

Diana was, not to put too fine a point on it, confused. Also burning with rage, but Alex Darrow was within her line of sight, so that was normal. However, that seemed to be the only normal thing going on today.

This... This was not how things were supposed to go. People were taking her side and telling Alex to back off? Alex was actually conceding?!? That didn't happen. People never took her side. Alex never conceded. Not without a punch to the nose, anyways, and she'd grown out of doing that. Mostly. Stupid maturity.

Stunned, she watched her rival hurry away, before looking to her classmates. All three had stepped in on her behalf, without any request or expectation from her. She... She didn't actually know how to take that.

"I... Uh... T-Thanks, guys..." Di stuttered, giving all three a bright smile. "That was really-"

Something clicked in her head. Alex never conceded, not unless he had found a way to bend a loss to his advantage. If he was walking away, that meant...

"-Oh that son of a Nert!" Her mood switching instantly from hesitant gratitude to righteous annoyance, Diana's hands fumbled with her camera for a moment before pressing it into Johanna's hands. "Here! Please, film this next bit for me? I don't want Alex being the only one with footage today!"

"Now, I'll be right back!" she said, clasping her hands and bowing slightly to the three, then spinning on her heel and dashing off the way her Rival and Jack had gone.

-----

A hand clamped down on Alex's wrist, delicate in apperance, but iron in grip. With a light application of force, it plucked Alex's hand from Jack's shoulder and lowered it back to his side before releasing it. Over his shoulder, Alex heard a familiar voice. "Mr. Darrow, if my classmate is truely set on not giving interviews, I will have to insist you abide by his wishes. I know full well that nothing is 'off the record' with you. Please, let him leave in peace."

[SinrXIII]

"Well hell. That settles things nicely, don't it?"

Sieg's - and consequently, Sao's - speech had been filled with unease and worry; Sieg's about the possibility of terrible danger, Sao's about the monster inside their classmate. Sieg was, of course, not likely to press his point, but Kohana took the words to heart as the boy spoke his warning. Sao was magnificently resolute in her desire to crush whatever fiend had taken residence inside Diana Tear; Koh chuckled inside his head, wondering if his arrangement with the Wolf was a similar condition.

However, the thought that something could go wrong or that CityGirl was possessed by some monster was all Koh'd needed. His ears were perked forward after the briefest moment's consideration, and a wide grin split his features. The shaman ruffled Sieg's hair in thanks before turning to Sao.

As Koh spoke, his voice slid into a natural drawl, polite speech fading slowly as his tail flicked with eager excitement.

"If Sieg says somethin's gonna go wrong, somethin's gonna go wrong and there's no changin' it. But seein' how your mind is made up on goin' through with this ritual of yours and danger be damned, I see no way I can refuse you." The wolf-boy coughed, clearing his throat before crossing his arms over his chest.

"I, Kohana Akecheta, have heard your request, Honored Spirit. In the name of the Abyssal Wolf, I humbly offer my services in whatever way they can be of use to you."

[Dracorion]

Just as Jack reached the top of the stairs, he found his path barred by a hooded Jo. Good, now he could get that conversation out of the way.

"Oh, uh, he-" He began, but she just walked right past him, toward Di and Alex. Oookkaaaayy. He could follow her... or he could wait for Jo to be done over there and talk to her then. Yeah, that was better than getting involved in a situation he had just escaped from.

So Jack just stood and watched Alex grew handsomer even from this distance and a yellow aura formed around him (wasn't it green before?), and Sean and Jay joined the conversation. But his thoughts drifted to how he was supposed to start that conversation with Jo. "Hey Jo, didja get any mysterious threatening letters today?" seemed a mite too obvious. And he couldn't be too explicit about the whole thing or get into even more trouble. Hell, he wasn't sure he could even be implicit about it.

"Oh Jack~!" Came the call, snapping him out of his thoughts as he looked up. Oh, fuck me. Alex Darrow approached him with a charming smile and placed a hand on his shoulder, holding him firmly. For politeness' sake, Jack turned to face him, but avoided making eye contact and just looked at Alex's ear instead. "It's getting pretty crowded out here, eh?" With his free hand, he lowered his sunglasses, revealing a crystalline green eye, which Jack barely noticed before averting his gaze once more. "Wanna come back to my dorm for," He winked mischievously, "a private chat?"

Jack blinked. Seriously? No, sorry dude, I generally don't get into bed with douchebags. Now, if Alex were any nicer, things would be different.

Before Jack could attempt to remove Alex's hand and duck out again, Diana arrived and did it for him. "Mr. Darrow, if my classmate is truely set on not giving interviews, I will have to insist you abide by his wishes. I know full well that nothing is 'off the record' with you. Please, let him leave in peace."

And now Jack was stuck in the middle of these two again. Better fix that. "Um... no." He said simply to Alex, and just walked away, toward Jo.

-----

"Hey, um, Jo." Jackson greeted with a small wave. "Do you have a minute?" He asked quietly, looking at a spot to the left of the pale girl's face, like he did the first time they talked.

[Teal Mage]

"...thank you for the warning." Sao replied, after a few moments of silence had passed in the mossy glade. A warm smile appeared on her face, as she regarded Sieglind - curiously. "Do the spirit say what about it is dangerous?" The undine asked, not unkindly. Her eyes slid away from the boy and toward the pool in the clearing's center. "Knowing would go a long way to mitigate that danger." She added, idly gliding her fingers along the murky surface of the hotspring before herself.

Sieg's mouth was parted slightly. He was staring at Sao again, a frown slowly forming on his face. Violet eyes blinked rapidly for a moment, before he slowly nodded. "I..." He began, before trailing off instead. One hand rose to his chest, clasping the air before his heart. His eyes shut and the faint crackle of spirit magic around his body subsided. Sieg's breathing began to slow...

Eyes still on the water, Sao began to speak again. "She does not glory me," the spirit murmured, "my altar devoid of sacrifices. Her friend and family I owe no favors," Sao went on, pensive. "They are not spirits under my protection." Perhaps, she was merely thinking aloud. "I am not under any obligation to aid her."

"I do not wish to endanger myself or my companions." She added, gaze sliding toward Kohana. "However," a shiver swept through her spine, and her gaze returned to the water, "what rides Diana cannot go without answer." A hint of fear tinged her voice. "It is a danger to all."

"It hates," Sao stated, voice hardening. "It hungers, and it slavers against Diana's frame." Her eyes turned toward Sieg and Kohana yet again. Once more, Sieg was staring at her - this time, she met his inhuman gaze unflinchingly, steel in her own eyes. "It is not content with just one to feed upon."

"I cannot allow it," a line of yellow electricity sparked, crackling through the air like a whip at her words, "to walk freely on this earth." Her jaw tightened, and fist clenched in the murky water. "I will find a way to send it back, or destroy it."

This time Sieg hadn't shied away from her eyes. He didn't reply, though. Instead, his purple eyes merely held the undine's gaze. A faint film of blood red light hung around the boy - to match the weak glow of yellow around Sao.

Kohana was the one who broke the silence.

"Well hell." The dog eared boy stated, snapping the tension like a knife. Blinking in surprise, Sieg's gaze bounced to Kohana - and his aura vanished completely. "That settles things nicely, don't it?" The native youth grinned widely, crossing to Sieg's side. He ruffled the boy's shaggy mess of caramel hair.

"If Sieg says somethin's gonna go wrong," he went on matter-of-factly, turning his eyes toward Sao, "somethin's gonna go wrong and there's no changin' it." In spite of his words, Kohana' tail twitched behind him - in excitement. "But," his smile was back, "seein' how your mind is made up on goin' through with this ritual of yours and danger be damned, I see no way I can refuse you."

Sieg lowered his head, sheepishly.

"I," crossing his arms over his chest, Kohana bowed formally to Sao, "Kohana Akecheta, have heard your request, Honored Spirit. In the name of the Abyssal Wolf, I humbly offer my services in whatever way they can be of use to you."

"Uhm." Sieg swallowed, eyes on Kohana. He bit the inside of cheek, before nodding. "Alright then, Kohana." The boy smiled faintly, "I guess I'll head back to the campus. And leave you two," he added, eyes straying toward Sao - before flinching back to Kohana. "To make, uhm...plans?" He finished, uncertainly, before shaking his head.

The young man turned, eyes falling on the place where he'd abandoned his sketch-pad and pastels. Steps perhaps a little too quick, he made his way to them. Crouching, he began to hastily collect his art supplies - posture suggesting he was felt extremely uncomfortable where he was, at that moment.

* * *

Jack walked away, leaving Alex standing at the top of the stairs with Diana.

Surprisingly, the dark-haired boy sighed. Though Diana couldn't see it, the yellow aura of power around him had dissipated – by comparison, the bespectacled director seemed almost deflated. He jerked his wrist free of Diana's hand, with a soft grunt of effort, before jamming that hand into his pocket.

"That wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be." Alex stated, breathing a clipped, annoyed, sigh.

Without a further word to his red-haired rival, the dark-haired director left.

[Bard The 5th LW]

"That wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be," spoke the male director, as his visage faded back to normality and he sulked away. Jack paced towards Jo, leaving Diana free for a moment. Sean waited fro him to clear before he took a few steps towards the other monst- director.

'Just get over it, the dream didn't even get her hair right,' he tried to assure himself as the sense of unease he recalled from the interview began to resurface. Despite his mental attempts to act casually, he still left a bit of room between his classmate and himself before he spoke.

"Hey there, you got a moment now?" he asked. "Just a quick question about yesterday and I let you go. I was on my way to see if I could get someone in the Home Ec club to fix my jacket before the... mishap. If possible, do you mind getting it back to me sometime after class tomorrow so I can get it patched up?" He figured it would be a bit more polite to spare the details of the 'incident' from yesterday.

[Steel Shadow]

"That wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be."

Diana stared after her rival as he walked away, now more confused than ever. He'd run off again. What was up with him? Was he ok? He'd been acting strangely, even for him... Maybe he was sick? That would explain why he was going on about smells...

Well it wasn't like she cared.

Absently she turned and headed back towards her classmates, her pace distracted and slow. She almost missed it when Sean started talking to her.

"Hey there, you got a moment now? Just a quick question about yesterday and I let you go. I was on my way to see if I could get someone in the Home Ec club to fix my jacket before the... mishap. If possible, do you mind getting it back to me sometime after class tomorrow so I can get it patched up?"

"Huh? Oh! Of course. Sorry, I should have brought it in today! I mean... I can get it for you now, if you want?" Somehow Di didn't think Sean was that keen on hanging around though, for whatever reason. "Or... Ok, yeah, I'll bring it in tomorrow." Ha. Maybe she was more tired than she thought. It was probably just that dream. It was throwing her all sorts of off today.

"You don't have to leave, y'know. You can stick around. We should all get to know one another if we're going to be classmates, right?" she tried again, this time throwing in a hopeful smile. She did like the guy, even if he had anger issues (wait, what? Oh never mind...) It'd be nice to make some friends aside from Sarah and Bill.

Plus, it looked like Jack was trying to talk to Jo, and she didn't want to interrupt to get her camera back...

[Bard The 5th LW]

"You don't have to leave, y'know. You can stick around. We should all get to know one another if we're going to be classmates, right?"- What Diana said"ROOOOOOOAAAAR" - What Sean is still hearing

Sean blinked. He shook his head a bit before coming back down to Earth. He just needed to calm down a bit. It was just a dream! Diana wasn't really a spine smashing werewolf monster! It would be mean to judge her based off something that never happened.

...but despite his attempts to assure himself, he still could feel the sense of discomfort growing in his gut. He needed a moment to just shake off last night. Then he could relax.

"Well I'd like to, but I have to get ready for hockey practice soon," he said a moment or two later in a deliberately calm tone. "Tell you what though, I won't be busy tomorrow, so we can talk when we meet after class, what do you say?" Certainly a few hours worth of exhaustion were all he'd need to shake off memories of the nightmare.