forum Alfea College (Closed)

Started November 23, 2021 by @emilyevewrites group

tune

“I think we have three or four more suitemates but I only remember Asra’s name.” Mila shrugged, scanning the room for any kind of clue about their other roommates. “And that she's a Light fairy.”

"What are you?" Nissa asked. A moment went by and her eyes widened "Oh my glob, that sounded rude, didn't it?" She lifted her hands as if surrendering. "What I meant was are you like, a water fairy or a light fairy or…" She dropped her hands feeling a little embarrassed, and she was certain her face had turned red.

Mila smirked as she faced Nissa, understanding what she had initially meant… Though she would agree that her question could come across as tactless, at the least. “I’m an air fairy.” she answered simply, raising her hand and letting a few sparks dance around her fingers. “What about you?”

"I'm a fire fairy," Nissa replied, perking up a bit. She gave Mila a grin, briefly raising her hand as flames danced above her palm. "I can't wait to meet the others. All I need to do is not set any of their things on fire. Shouldn't be too hard, right?" She muttered the last parts to herself, almost forgetting that Mila was in the room.

“I’m sure that would be ideal.” Mila chuckled a little. “But that is why we're here. To learn how to avoid… magical mishaps.” she said, trailing off a little as she remembered the start of her first year again.

After showing a group of first-years around, Farah and Saúl made their way back to the headmistress' office.

Farah strode across the room, made her way around her desk, and sighed as she sat down. "That was exhausting."

"Is it just me, or are the Type A personalities slowly becoming more common," Saúl asked, shutting the door behind him as he entered. "They must've asked two dozen questions. And since when did fairies become such history nerds?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Farah arched an eyebrow, and Saúl quickly shook his head.

"Nope. This is a trap."

Farah laughed quietly and picked another file up from the stack beside her. "Not a trap. Just… wondering where you were going."

"Ah. That definitely means it was a trap," Saul retorted, approaching her desk.

Farah smiled and looked at him through her lashes before scanning the information in the file. "I have work to do, Saúl."

Aiya noticed the other fairies were her dormmates. "I didn't realize you guys were bunking with me," she told them, "I guess we'll get to know each other over the year." Her smile seemed almost fake, too toothy and too wide.

Nissa looked up at the other fairy. "Oh! Hey there," She said, giving the newcomer a smile, "I'm Nissa, and I promise I'll try not to set any of your stuff on fire." Her smile faltered, "I said that last part out loud didn't I…?" She groaned and sat down on one of the beds. She took a deep breath and looked back up. "Okay, one more time." She cleared her throat, standing and holding out her hand. "Hi, I'm Nissa. It's nice to meet you, and I'm sorry about all…that."

Mila’s lips twitched at poor Nissa’s introduction to their newest roommate… but that quickly stopped when she recognized the other fairy. “Oh, hello again. We weren't properly introduced earlier.” she said, attempting to be amicable. “I’m Mila.”

Headmistress Dowling made her way through the halls of Alfea with long strides. Trailing her was a non-fairy man named Callum who carried a small, flat pot in his hands. Callum was Farah Dowling's assistant, and in his hands, he carried the vessel used at the Stone Circle to channel fairy magic. In the bottom of the vessel, a small collection of clear crystal-like objects rattled around.

After a short walk across the grounds, the pair made it to the Stone Circle. The headmistress pointed toward a tall and flat stone in the center. "The Vessel goes there," she ordered. Callum nodded and walked to place it where the headmistress had pointed. As Callum walked away, Farah took a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly. The magic was palpable here, blossoming under her fingertips and waiting to be unleashed. She felt multiple elements called out to her as opposed to her first year as a student when a weak, single element whispered her name. Now, a chorus of mystical murmurs begged her to reconnect with the nature of her magic as she had learned it here, in Alfea's circle of stone.

Her eyes opened as Callum approached her again. "The Vessel is in place, Headmistress," he addressed her formally.

"Thank you, Callum," Farah replied. "You may head back now."

The man nodded and began his trek back in the direction they had come from. Once he was out of sight, Farah headed over to the Vessel. The murmured grew louder in her ear as she neared it, and when she put her hands on the Vessel, she felt a rush of power pass through her as she channeled a wide array of her abilities through the Vessel. She relished the moment, the power of having a raw connection to nature that was limited in the Otherworld.

Eventually, she retracted her hands and looked back at the school as she waited for the second years to make their way to the Stone Circle.

“Come on, Nissa. Don't want to be late today.” Mila called out a bit more eagerly than usual. The Stone Circle was a big deal, she was sure, to all fairies. First-year students got to find out what their magic was, Mila still remembered the buzz from her experience. This year, however, she was looking forward to seeing how much she had improved… And she wanted to show Headmistress Dowling that she had stayed with her training and was taking her lessons seriously.

"Coming!" Nissa called, pulling on a pair of fingerless gloves. "Lucky me these things are fireproof," She muttered to herself, as she checked her reflection in the mirror. "Okay, Nissa. You can do this, just keep it cool." She turned and headed toward the door. "Let's go." She said, shooting Mila a convincing smile to cover her nerves.

Mila gave a small smile and nodded as Nissa caught up before heading out towards the Stone Circle. “You excited?” she asked, brushing down a few strands of hair that were starting to react to her magic static.

Nissa nodded, adjusting the collar of her jacket. "Yep!" She replied, hoping that her enthusiasm didn't sound as forced as she thought it did. "Can't wait."

Mila raised a brow slightly as she picked up on the fact that her roommate wasn't quite as excited as she was trying to sound. “Just remember to stay calm and focused. It's no different than any other lesson we had last year.” she reminded. “And don't go all out. We’re just showing what we remember learning about control last year.” she explained the situation from her perspective, hoping it would help Nissa.

Farah began to hear footsteps approaching the Stone Circle as a few of the early students made their way through the slightly wooded path. "Have a seat around the edge," she instructed, motioning to the bench-looking slabs of stone. She greeted each of them with a smile and a nod, remembering most from instructing them in the previous year. "Have a seat," she repeated to a boy that looked a bit lost. Goodness, how fast have they forgotten what to expect? she wondered with a shake of her head. Murmured broke out amongst the group while they waited for the lesson to start, and Farah was glad to see a few students with notebooks in their laps and pencils poised and ready in their hands. At least some are able to recall…