(Sorry for not adding Ena back in sooner. I've been here, just with a lot on my mind. I'm good now, so she'll be available for chatting once they're in homeroom!)
Ena smiled as she looked at her locker. She was incredibly happy with her design skills, seeing the decals and her art decorate her locker. Then she noticed the time, realizing that she should head to her homeroom class. It was almost the beginning of the school day. She didn't mind, but she was a bit upset that she was too busy decorating to socialize.
She quickly placed it out of her mind as she thought about how she was going to learn magic soon. She smiled and ran towards her homeroom. Once she arrived, she sat in one of the seats and waited for the others. She was the first one there since she ran from the hallway into the classroom, but she was simply excited. She decided to pass time by drawing. While it would only be a few minutes, she liked to draw, so she grabbed her sketchbook and started a drawing while waiting for others to enter the classroom.
Jules cocked his head at Lumi's symbol, perplexed by the fact that she flashed up seven fingers and then bolted. It had to be related to the question he had asked her earlier. He stood there watching as she dashed down the hall, his gaze now fixed on Ena. He also stood there watching as she bolted away, taking a different path than Lumi. Jules shifted his gaze to Squid, looking at his wristwatch. "Then we'd better get moving. I'm pretty sure we're in the same homeroom. Would you like to walk together?" He offered it to Squid, but given the circumstances, he was more tempted to grab the boy's hand and run than to walk. That, however, would be impolite. Jules cast a glance at Sera, confident that she would find her way there on her own. After all, she appeared to be quite content to be here. He didn't even wait for Squid to respond before grabbing the boy's hand and fleeing. Was he dragging someone along to find homeroom? Yes. Was it impolite? Yes, as well. But to him, 7:58 was cutting it a bit close, so why not take someone he just met for the ride.
Jules, on the other hand, had no idea where he was going. Not at all. He ran in zigzag patterns down different hallways. He dragged Squid by the hand around the hall, looking for homeroom. Jules, fortunately for both boys, found the room in time. 7:59. It only took a minute. If he could teleport, things would have been a lot easier. He let go of Squid's hand, profusely apologizing before taking a seat near Ena and Lumi. He wasn't too close or too far away from them. There were only a few seats between the two of them. Jules was panting heavily. He was exhausted from pulling his weight, the weight of his bag, and the squid…especially since he was a small 13-year-old boy. He lowered his head into his arms before raising it again.
Squid was about to respond when his hand was grabbed and he was promptly dragged around, stumbling a little but being forced to follow Jules. It was either that or just fall over and accidentally drag Jules down with him- he yelps quietly, looking around when he was finally let go of. Of course he accepts the apologies, no matter how spontaneous that was, but hes still a little shell-shocked.
He lingers outside the homeroom for a moment, placing a hand on his chest as he attempts to catch his breath. He's bad with running, or really any physical activity, it's not that he's super out of shape, he just can't catch his breath at all. Eventually he just gives up trying and enters the homeroom, sitting in a desk that was basically in the area between Jules and the others. He wasn't really thinking about where he was sitting anyways, I mean they're allowed to sit anywhere-
(Sorry, guys I've been busy with work)
Althought originally talking with Squid, Sera kinda drifted out of the conversation between Squid and Jules. She casually observed the conversations and watched as Jules took Squid's hand, dragging him down the hallway. She raised her eyebrows and casually shrugged her shoulders. That's pretty gay.
Being raised by two mothers and being bisexual herself, Sera liked to think she had pretty good gaydar.
She headed down the hall to her homeroom and on her journey she intercepted Teacher Alfson. Sera waved at the teacher and ran to meet them. Goda Alfson was a friend of Sera's parents and when she found out that they would be her homeroom teacher, she was super excited. Teacher Alfson also taught potions.
The two of them chatted as arrived at the homeroom, a few minutes late. She sat behind Squid, that desk being the only free one left and waited for homeroom to start.
"Hi everyone." Teacher Alfson smiled, looking around the class, "Welcome to your first day at Gavix. I'm Teacher Alfson and I'l be your homeroom teacher. I also teach potions. I'll let you be to get acquainted with each other but I first need to go over some important school rules that you have to follow." Teacher Alfson pulled out a sheet of paper and started reading off it, "You are able to use magic on school ground but strict punishments will occur if you cause damage to school property, students or teachers. You must stay on school property during school hours as we have a duty of care to keep you safe. The forest behind the Elemental Training Grounds is off limits unless you are with a teacher."
They folded up the paper and looked around, ensuring everyone understood them. "I'll quickly do the role and you can chat away. The first period bell will ring soon."
Everyone was in the class and they starting chatting amongst each other, waiting for the bell.
(As you can probably tell, Goda Alfson is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.)
(The teachers at the school are:
Goda Alfson (they/them) - Potions
Alastar Brannon (he/him) - English
Cam Ardal (he/him)- Maths
Hamish Carroll (he/him) - Elemental Studies (Theory)
Teresa Carroll (she/her) - Elemental Training (Practical)
Aylish Delany (she/her) - History
Jenni McNeil (she/her) - School Principal)
(You don't have to remember all this stuff :)
Squid watches Teacher Alfson, quietly nodding along to what they were saying. Of course his curiosity was piqued with the mention of the forest, but he doesn't want to ask much. There will be plenty of time for that, and he's still out of breath anyways.
After Teacher Alfson finishes talking, Squid looks around the classroom at the others, absentmindedly tapping his fingers on the desk. His mind just goes back to the things that have already happened today, like meeting the others. And of course being dragged around the school, of course he remembers that. He's still a little antsy too, more things could still happen that he wouldn't be expecting. Eventually he looks at Jules again.
Jules tried to concentrate on what Teacher Alfson was saying, but between the dash down the hall and the guilt he felt for dragging Squid, he couldn't. Although the mention of the forest piqued his interest, he had no intention of trespassing. Jules didn't have many questions for Teacher Alfson; instead, he had a lot of questions for others about his…abilities. He had a worried expression on his face, though he didn't realize it. His brow was furrowed, and his eyes were filled with inquisitive worry. Jules was startled back to reality when he heard his name called for roll. As he raised his head, his body jerked. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
When the teacher finished speaking, Jules turned to Squid, who was sitting next to him. Then he gazed over Ena, Sera, and Lumi. "Hello," he said quietly to the three before returning his focus to Squid. "Please accept my heartfelt apologies. I dragged you around the halls on the spur of the moment. I'm a bit spontaneous. It's not going to happen again, I swear." As compensation, he offered a sweet smile. Jules shifted his attention back to Ena, Lumi, and Sera. "I don't believe we've spent enough time together to exchange names. Julian is my given name, which you may have heard me say at the lockers. However, please refer to me as Jules." His normal speaking voice was soothing, and it remained soft throughout. "I'm hoping this year will be enjoyable. That's how my parents described it. However, I'm completely oblivious to my schedule, so I’m not sure what’s next." Jules felt stupid, but he was going to ask for help if he needed it.
(Btw, you can make up however the powers work for you character and can do whatever but make sure it’s reasonable.)
Sera stood up and leaned against Squids desk. “I’m Sera.” She smiled. She noticed a few of her class mates from the hall earlier. “Do you guys all have history next?”
"Its- 's ok.." Squid sighs quietly, tapping his fingers on the desk as he keeps watching Jules. He doesn't say much else, he doesn't want to just interject into the conversation. He doesn't really know what's next either, maybe the teacher could tell them? His breath has calmed down by now though, so hes just sitting there for a bit. Of course he looks up at Sera when she leans against his desk, that kindof rubbed him the wrong way but he doesn't want to say anything about it.
"Not sure..I think that the uh, the teachers could tell us..maybe-" Squid finally interjects, picking at his fingernails before reaching up and trying to move his bangs away from his eyes. They always love just obscuring his sight-
Jules smiled at Squid, hoping he meant it when he said it was fine. Sera drew Jules' attention away from Squid. "Hello Sera, it's a pleasure to meet you." He didn't know what to think of her. His perception shifted with each new movement or piece of information he learned. When asked the question, he shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure, but I'd guess so." He took a green folder from his bag and opened it. One thing to notice about this kid was that he was extremely well-organized. He took a look inside and checked his schedule. "It appears so." Jules' eyes twinkled as he considered the possibility that he might know someone in his class. It would make his life a tad bit easier. He stowed the folder in his satchel and stared at Sera, trying to figure out who this mysterious girl was.
(Sorry, guys! I was in the car most of the day and service was on and off, so I mostly spent it writing on Google Docs without my hotspot on. Sorry if just now adding Ena seems a bit awkward/out of place)
Ena looked up from her sketchbook to see Jules. She smiled at him, happy to be making friends. She would've started a conversation herself, but she had gotten a bit distracted by her drawing, momentarily removing herself from reality as she focused on that instead.
"My name's Ena!" she told him, continuing to smile. "I don't think I really talked to you guys in the hallway since I was busy decorating my locker, but I hope to become friends with all of you at some point or another! And it's nice to meet you, by the way!"
She was full of energy at the time, excited for the school year and happy to make some friends. She was a bit louder than she meant to be as she spoke, but it was only natural given how excited she was at the time. She went back to her art, but she looked up from time to time, showing that she would be available to chat if anyone wanted to.
Squid quietly looks down at his books that he had carried to the classroom, don't ask him why but he thinks that he left his schedule in there? He just thought that he'd find it whenever he needed it, and sure enough he kindof needs it right now. He glances up at Ena eventually, "Oh..uh, yeah, hi- names Squid if you didn't catch it already.."
Squid just goes back to looking through his books, sighing quietly. He would keep talking but he doesn't know what to talk about, and he's just bad at talking. The only people he'd be comfortable talking to are Sera and Jules, since he's already talked to them a decent amount.
Ena glanced at Squid, still seeming to be as happy as she had been the entire morning. Her bright smile had yet to fade away, everything she was doing fueled by excitement and her passion for magic. She could always be energetic, but it wasn't typically the only thing about her.
"Nice to meet you!" she beamed. "And sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable with the yelling or something. I'm just really excited, that's all! If that's all you wanted to say, that's fine! I'll just quietly draw!"
She seemed to be rather happy, so it was obvious that she wasn't upset or anything. She was full of energy and enjoyed multitasking as it was. Besides, she wanted to make some art for her classmates since she thought it would be a nice thing to do.
Jules continued to smile at everyone. He kept his excitement to himself most of the time. "Ena, it's a pleasure to meet you. You should show us your locker at some point." He began to glow faintly, just a rush of blood caused by nervous excitement. "I think we're going to get into a lot of trouble this year." He wasn't psychic, but he had a sneaking suspicion that they were going to break school rules. He shook off the feeling, though. One of Squid's books had a small corner sticking out, which Jules noticed. He yanked on it, and there it was: Squid's schedule. "It was hidden in one of your books." He handed Squid the paper. He was curious as to what all of the people in this room could do in terms of magic. Jules epitomized the phrase "curiosity killed the cat." He had a bit of Murphy's law to him. No matter how hard he tried to stay out of trouble, it seemed to find him and the people around him. He promised himself that this year he would be more cautious; after all, he couldn't afford to be expelled. Jules tried hard to be a nice and helpful person, and his soft voice and upbeat demeanor revealed who he was. Murphy's law, on the other hand, was a curse.
Jules took a careful look at Ena's drawing, taking care not to overwhelm her. "Could you show me what you're drawing when you're done?" He inquired. He was curious as to when the bell would ring and what history would entail. After all, his home studies were all about magic and nothing else. Jules' only other skill was his knowledge of first aid. Jules desired to improve his magical abilities. He was well aware that light magic as a whole could go a long way. From using light as a weapon to very minor healing, the possibilities were endless.
(Yeah, sorry for the lack of detail. This is a quick reply before I head offline for the night. Be back tomorrow when in the car! (going on vacation))
Ena nodded in response to the question. "Of course! One of my moms actually taught me how to draw and stuff! The other taught me most of my magic stuff!" she beamed. "That aside, I really don't mind! I love showing my friends some drawings! Also, I can show you guys my locker! I have some of my completed drawings hanging in it, a pic of my moms and me, and a bunch of decals! I spent most of my time decorating!"
Squid blinks a few times before taking the paper from Jules, he wasn't exactly expecting that- he smiles a little, "Oh, thanks." Squid takes a look at his schedule once he has it, staying quiet for a moment or two before finally muttering, "Oh, I do have history next.."
Squid puts his schedule down after looking it over, looking over at Ena. He nods quietly, he's definitely interested in seeing the others drawings and art. Hes never been the best at art but he loves looking at it, it just interests him how many things can be done with just one medium. "..that sounds cool.."
Ena looked at Squid and smiled a bit. "If you're interested in art, it definitely is! It's nice to see you guys having an interest in my art! That's gonna work out quite well!" she replied with a smile, hinting that she was going to make some art for everyone. "Well, I'll be working on some new drawings, but if anyone still wants to chat, I can draw and chat!"
She grabbed her sketchbook before going back and facing the others. She would occasionally glance up at them before going back to her art. She could momentarily continue her art without looking at her sketchbook, showing that it would be fairly easy for her to maintain a conversation with someone and work on her art for them as well.
Jules was at a loss for what to do with himself now that he had become addicted to the Murphy's law theory. Maybe he was cursed…now that was a ridiculous thought. But it was possible that it was true… When Ena spoke, he snapped back to reality. His eyes were glossy for a brief moment. "Wow, that's fantastic! Only magic was taught to me by my parents. Well, by my father. But that's phenomenal. You'll have to show it to me!" He smiled as he leaned over his chair to watch Ena. "I'd like to see your locker as well!" He shifted his attention to the sound of Squid's voice. "Of course! It appears that the majority of us will be in history next!" Jules returned to being inside his head. What was there in the woods that they couldn't explore on their own? Was it possible that it could kill them? Maybe. His curiosity was killing him, but being the goody-two-shoes that he was, he decided to ignore it. Perhaps it wouldn't lead him down the wrong path. Keep him away from the wrath of Murphy's law. And everyone he came into contact with… Jules was preoccupied with the many scenarios that could go wrong in his head, so he didn't pay attention to Ena and Squid's conversation. “Err!” Jules slapped his hand over his mouth, inadvertently releasing a sound of frustration.
Ena glanced up at Jules, a bit confused by the sudden sound of frustration. She had heard his other comments on her art, her locker, and her past, but she found herself wondering what was bothering the other before she had a chance to respond to those comments. She momentarily looked at her sketchbook and her drawing once more, questioning if she should ask what was going on, as she barely knew him. She decided to at least ask if he was okay, not prying into what could be personal but still checking up on him.
"Hey, are you okay?" she asked softly as she raised her head to look at him again. "You don't need to say anything about what's bothering you, but you seem a bit frustrated, so I thought I'd see if you're okay."
Unlike with every other time where she had finished chatting with people, she didn't go back to her drawing after speaking. She continued to look at Jules, letting him know that he had her full attention for the time being. She just wanted to see if he was okay and cheer him up if that was required.
Squid just nods at the exclamation from Jules, humming quietly as he puts the schedule back into his book. Afterwards he just sorts his books, setting them off to the side and looking down at his desk.
Squid glances up at Jules when he hears the sound, looking over at Ena before looking at Jules again. He just wants to know the same as Ena, he wasn't really expecting just a random noise out of nowhere. And Jules kindof looks distraught, so- Squid returns his gaze to the desk pretty soon though, he hates staring.
Nodding his head, Jules sighed. With all the potential trouble they could get into, he had become frustrated. "I'm alright… I've just made myself frustrated by going over scenarios in my head. There's no need to be concerned. However, thank you for your concern." He turned his head and 'blushed' a little as he felt Squid's gaze burn into him. To say the least, he was hot with embarrassment. "I apologize for the exclamation of frustration." In a sheepish gesture, Jules put his hand to his head. He felt like an idiot for not being able to control what came out of his mouth, but he assumed that sound expression was beyond one's control. They just occur. "In the future, you might hear more frustrated noises from me." He gave Ena a small smile, and his eyes had a slight white glow as a sunbeam hit them.
(For some reason, I like to think Jules would be able to do photosynthesis)
(That would definitely make sense)
Squid just nods quietly, laughing a little to himself. He doesn't know why but he found Jules's final statement to be funny, don't ask him. Shifting in his seat a little he halfheartedly glances around the room, looking for like, a clock or something- he knows it must be after 8 am but he wants to know when exactly they're leaving for the next class, and how long he has until then. Eventually he gives up and looks at the others again, mostly Jules and Ena since they were the closest to him. Since it seemed like the previous conversation was over he just goes ahead and talks-
"..What Teacher Alfson said about the forest kinda interested me..even though it was vague-" He mumbles, he's definitely curious about what exactly is in that forest. He hopes he's not the only one with the same interest-
Jules was relieved that these people seemed to like him. It wasn't difficult in actuality, but it was a source of concern for Jules. Who could resist saying aww with a lovely smile as bright as the sun? He also considered how the first block bell had yet to ring. He checked his wristwatch to see what time it was. 8:03. Huh? His schedule said the first block began at 8:06, but he swears it was more than six minutes. He whispered to himself, "That's strange… it's like there's some time distortion…" Jules considered the phrase “time flies while you're having fun." That was most likely the cause.
At Squid's remark, Jules froze. "It piqued my interest. It was this that lead to me to my yelp of frustration. What could possibly happen in such wilderness that would necessitate the presence of a teacher? Then it got me thinking about "what could go wrong, will go wrong," and curses. And how deadly my curiosity is…" Now they know exactly what irritated him. “Sorry. In any case, I'd rather not poke the Phoenix and discover the truth."
"..but what if the truth is something super interesting?" Squid mumbles, mostly to himself. He knows it's futile, the others probably wouldn't want to risk going in. And to be honest, he'd be too scared to go in alone. He'd have to have some pretty good incentive to even consider it. Eventually he comes to a conclusion.
"Hm..I guess I'd rather not get expelled for poking around.." Squid sighs, shrugging a little. Even if he were to say, just take a few steps into the forest and look around, how far is too far? Will he get in trouble just for being near it? Would they have an opportunity to go in later anyways, and he will have gone in prematurely? He's always had a true talent for letting his curiosity get the better of him, but perhaps self control is the key here. He can only imagine what's in there.
"My mother says that there are evil creatures in the forest, creatures like gargoyles. Once you step into their territory, they hunt you down and feed you to their children." Sera looked around at her classmates to see their reaction, "That is of course rumors they heard when they were here, but there was also a rumor of a witch who went into the forest by himself and never returned. No one could find him." She paused for dramatic effect before continuing, "Apparently the only time you can enter is with Mrs. Carroll. She's obviously know to be the most powerful witch in Asura and she is easily able to ward off the gargoyles. Apparently the reasoning to enter the forest is to practice fighting against real monsters."
Squid listens to Sera, staying quiet for a bit and glancing off to the side. Well that answers his question..now he definitely doesn't want to go in there, if he goes in with a teacher even then is debatable. Were those really rumors? Or were they all true? Just the thought of man-eating gargoyles and gone-without-a-trace witches definitely spooked him a little. He'll have a fun time trying to forget about that today. "..oh-"
He kindof wants to ask more but he doesn't know if there's really much else to know about when it comes to this, maybe there's only a few things Sera's mom's taught her-
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