forum Alfea College for Fairies [Elemental Fairies] (Closed)

Started December 03, 2022 by @emilyevewrites group

tune

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 first and second years to make their way to the Stone Circle.

Penny had woken up late, unsurprisingly, and panicked as she realized she wouldn't have much time to get ready. Guess she was skipping breakfast this morning. She threw on a new outfit, deciding on a denim miniskirt with ripped black tights under it and a ripped brown t-shirt over a black tank top. This would do. She put her hair into two low messy buns and quickly did some light makeup, complete with the winged eyeliner she never went without and some lip gloss, clear this time instead of fiery red. To finish the look, she added some boots and leg warmers. Perfect.

She threw on her black headphones to listen to music on the short walk there, and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Cute! She checked her phone again and her stomach filled with anxiety. Shit! If she didn't hurry, she was going to be late. She double checked to make sure she hadn't forgetting anything, and slung her red school backpack over her shoulder, putting her keys in the front pocket. Okay, now she was ready to go. She hurried out the door to her room, wondering if her roommate had already left.

Apparently, Mila and Penny had different definitions of “late” at this point. Mila had managed to take up a few minutes earlier and had just finished getting ready, wearing a causal yellow tank top and dark-washed jeans with very little makeup.

“Good morning!” she smiled when she met up with Penny. “Ready to show off your power today?” she asked, remembering the routine of the first day.

Penny glanced at her roommate, feeling a bit overdressed for a moment before shaking it off. She was always overdressed compared to her peers, but fashion made her feel powerful, like her own personal armor to get through the day. It was a habit she'd developed a while ago, and it really helped her feel better about her day to day life to get dressed up.

"Morning," she said in response. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be, I guess. If I burn something to a crisp, don't be surprised." She was half-joking, and snorted before going to head out the door. "We should probably get going if we don't want to show up late." No reason to continue the embarrassment she'd begun her stay here with, but at least she would look amazing as she strolled up late if that did end up happening. She could handle everyone's gaze on her; the effort she put into dressing up helped with that.

She kept her headphones on her ears, trying to bar further conversation with her roommate. Sure, they could be friends, but another part of Penny's armor was the music she listened to beforehand. She had a routine of listening to her music before class and getting a breath of fresh air before having to deal with everyone there.

“Don't worry. Headmistress Dowling will be there so nothing will get too out of hand.” Mila assured, before taking the lead simply because she knew the way. Though she just shrugged at the comment about being late. She was fairly certain that they would still arrive with just enough time to get good seats.

She did raise a brow slightly when Penny put in her headphones but didn't bother saying anything. Instead, she focused on staying calm and not letting her power affect anyone else. Mila may have had a few stray hairs reacting to the static around her but that was just because she was both excited and a little nervous. She wanted to show Ms. Dowling how much she had improved.

Penny glanced at Mia when she talked, nodding along. She walked next to Mia, taking in the scenery again. She was ready for this first day. More ready than she'd been for any first day recently. It was nice here, even somewhat calming.

She kept walking, wondering how far away the place was. It definitely wasn't far, but with her terrible sense of direction and newness, she had no clue where it was.

(sorry it's so short i'm rly tired rn)

(It's ok. Sorry it took so long to reply. I was at my sister’s college graduation! So, I'm actually pretty tired too.)

Mila knew exactly where to go and had no problem guiding Penny to the Stone Circle. As she guessed, most of the students had already taken their seats but there was still a steady flow of others arriving. She gave Penny a light bump and pointed to a couple of free seats before hurrying over.

(It’s all good! I was sick yesterday and today, so I wasn’t on a whole lot. Respond when you can, and you don’t have to worry about length :))

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 sitting without direction and waiting patiently for her to start class. Well, at least some are able to recall…

Penny followed Mia's example, taking off her headphones and setting them around her neck again. Luckily they were bluetooth, so she didn't have to worry about any annoying cords to get in her way. As she sat down, she looked around the circle at the other students arriving. There weren't too many other students here yet, and Penny realized with relief that she and Mia were actually a bit early. That was a first for her. Maybe her time management skills were getting better. She hoped that was the case. Even when she'd woken up late, she was able to get ready fairly quickly–compared to her normal time, at least. Maybe she was just getting faster at makeup. Either way, she was early and that was a relief.

The headmistress was here today, and she seemed to genuinely know each student by name. It was honestly a bit impressive, since Penny was terrible with both names and faces. She was glad she remembered Mia's, but having her as a roommate definitely helped with that. Interacting with each other daily would keep the girl's name in Penny's mind.

Penny wondered what exactly it was that they were going to do. Thanks to Mia, she had a rough idea, but still not a clear picture. She figured once more people arrived and a few minutes passed, she would know. Hopefully she wouldn't have to go first; she hated that and never volunteered for it, actively avoiding making eye contact with the teacher when they asked. She also didn't want to go last, or after anyone who was especially talented. God, her stomach was filling with nerves. As long as she didn't do something stupid, though, she figured things wouldn't be too bad.

(thanks guys! and i hope you feel better camie–is it cool if i call you that? i just checked your bio ^^)

(Thanks! I’m feel much better than I did yesterday. And yes, of course! <3 :))

"Welcome back, second years," Farah began her practiced speech. "I hope over the summer recess you were able to practice your abilities. And welcome, first years, to Alfea. Magic lives in the very fabric of nature. And here in our circle of stone, it’s magnified. The vessel tests your ability to channel that magic. Your first year is all about the element you were born with. In your second year, you will build on the core abilities you learned in your first year while also experimenting with more abilities across your particular element. Further down the line, you may learn to connect with other elements. In the past, some of the more advanced first and second years began to develop other elemental abilities. I don't believe that will be the case for anyone this year, however, I would like to see several of you prove me wrong." Her warm but firm brown eyes swept over the faces around her before she continued.

"One by one, you will approach the vessel simply to channel your abilities. Whatever your element, the emotions underlying it are the same for all fairies, and the duration, finesse, and level of control you demonstrate while performing ability will help to determine where each of you will start your year. And as for the second years, I will be able to see who put in practice time this summer… and who did not. Hallie," Farah addressed an earth fairy sitting with her friends on the opposite side of the circle. "Would you like to begin?"

Hallie's grey eyes widened at the sound of her name, but she nodded all the same. "Yes, Headmistress Dowling." She popped off of her seat and walked toward the vessel. Her fingers touched the vessel, and the second they did, Hallie's eyes turned green.

"Earth," Ms. Dowling stated as Hallie commanded roots to form and blossoms to grow inside the vessel. "Soil, sand, rock, and all manner of plant life." Hallie blossomed little white flowers around the interior of the vessel, and when she withdrew her hands, magic caused the plants to disappear so the vessel was plain again for whoever used it next. "Good work, Hallie," Ms. Dowling acknowledged the girl with a smile. "Next. Ester?"

The next fairy approached the vessel confidentially. "Water," Ms. Dowling acknowledged as Ester’s pale blue eyes deepened their shade to almost a royal blue. "The lakes and oceans of the world or the molecules that exist in all organisms around us." A pillar of water spurted up from the vessel and spiraled into the air. It looked amazing, but it didn't last long before Ester dispersed the magic into the surrounding air. Farah nodded. "Well done Ester. Minerva?"

A shy mind fairy approached the vessel. Her eyes lit up purple almost instantly after she touched it, and a hazy cloud of thought came into view of the other students. "The mind," Headmistress Dowling explained. "Thoughts, memories, dreams." Her words were few, but her knowledge of the mind and its abilities ran much deeper. Few people knew just how powerful she was. Farah was easily able to feel Minerva's apprehension, and the rest of the class could soon tell as well as the girl's hands began to tremble while she maintained her abilities for another few seconds. Then, her eyes went back to their normal brown, the hazy mind-cloud disappeared, and she scurried back to her seat.

"Stop thinking." Farah was always quick to teach a lesson, and the first day was no exception. Her words were directed at Minerva, but they addressed the entire group. "Magic comes from emotions. Focus on clear positive feelings, and open yourself up to the magic of the world around you." Her dark brown gaze shifted from Minerva to Mila, and Farah nodded to urge her to step up.

Mila watched the progression of students as Ms. Dowling called them. You didn't have to be a mind fairy to see how nervous some were but when Ms. Dowling made eye contact with her, she smiled back and stood as she confidently approached the vessel. Though the young blonde had to let out a calming breath before reaching out to the vessel. She could feel the hair on her arms start to stand… But she still placed her hands on the edge once she was close enough, her eyes glowing pale blue, doing her best not to be nervous and remember the main part of her lessons from last year.

It took just a brief moment as a rumble of thunder echoed, either above her or from the vessel before it lit up with a bolt of magic lightning. Though Mila kept it contained within the pot.

A few students flinched at the thunder then again as the lightning struck, but the headmistress didn’t move — unfazed.

“Air," Farah declared after Mila presented her ability. "Speed, temperature, sound. Its power, and electrical properties.”

Remembering how little control Mila had over her abilities last year, Dowling remained ready to step in, just in case things went south, but she allowed the girl the chance to redeem herself in front of her peers after the chaos that had occurred last year. After a moment, she spoke again, the pride evident in her voice.

"Lovely work, Mila." Her naturally stoic features broke into a small smile as she nodded for Mila to sit back down.

Mila smiled back, blushing softly as she stepped away from the vessel, her eyes reverting to their normal blue-green shade. “Thank you.” she said softly, almost whispering, before she walked calmly back to her seat.

With Mila done, Headmistress Dowling continued her leisurely stroll around the vessel as her eyes scanned the remaining students. Some looked frightened and nervous, and others looked much more confident and calm. Farah couldn't have some terrified student losing control of their magic and making a scene on the first day of classes, and in the Stone Circle no less.

Though Penelope was new and a first year, Farah could feel her decisiveness and determination. Those feelings would help the girl perform well, Farah hoped. If not, she had another solution in the back of her mind.

“Penelope," she selected Mila’s roommate to perform next. "Are you ready?"

Penny blinked, not expecting her name to be called. For a moment she simply sat there, looking like a deer in headlights before swallowing and standing. "Yeah, sure." She followed the examples of the others before her, and walked towards the vessel, nervous but hiding it with a practiced air of indifference. However, a current of determination ran through her, making her want to do well not just to not stupid, but also to prove that she could. She placed her hands on the vessel, copying Mia's stance. Her mouth was a resolute line as she braced herself for what would come next.

Her eyes changed into a fiery red as her power roared out of her. One moment there was nothing but air surrounding her, and the next, bright flames appeared, growing in size until Penny was standing in the midst of a small inferno. See? She was powerful, and in control of things. But of course, the universe decided to punish her for the brief moment of hubris. Soon enough, the inferno grew, raging as if in a wind before Penny's eyes widened and she yanked her hands away from the vessel before the inferno could engulf any of the other students, her eyes going back to their normal brown. Thankfully, she was unharmed, but unfortunately, her clothes were not so lucky. She frowned, sat that a really cute outfit had just been wasted. And her headphones! Shit, she was going to have to waste some money to get those replaced.

She walked back to her seat, feigning confidence, and sat down next to Mia. She hoped the other girl wouldn't say anything. Penny guessed that she would just have to change after this class. But for now, she'd pretend that it didn't bother her and sit with her singed clothing. Now what was Headmistress Dowling going to have to say about that display of idiocy? God, Penny really needed this school to get control over her powers.

The headmistress's eyes keenly observed the flaming spectacle. "Fire," she declared, circling around so she stood in front of Penelope. "Combustion, heat, temperature. Dangerous when wild, powerful when controlled."

She watched with observant eyes as the flames blazed within the Vessel and around Penny. She continued to stay where she was, keeping her eyes on the growing flames. As soon as the girl pushed past the limit of her control, Farah could feel it. She took a swift step closer, and her eyes glowed as she called a wind of her own to extinguish the flames.

Ms. Dowling took a deep inhale and lifted her chin slightly as she watched Penny turn and walk back to her seat. She could feel the mixed emotions swirling around her in the aftermath of the fire fairy's display – fear, worry, amazement, and judgment. As a mind fairy and an empath, the headmistress picked up on it all.

Though, surprisingly, she didn't address it – the emotions of the other fairies around her or Penny's catastrophic performance with the Vessel. Farah moved swiftly through the next few students – another female air fairy, male water fairy, a female light fairy, a male mind fairy, another female fire fairy, and finally, a male light fairy.

Once they had all performed, Ms. Dowling stepped back into the center of the circle to draw the students' attention.

"Well done to you all. While some fared better than others, I must remind you that it is only the first day. For those who didn't do as well as they liked, you just need a clear mind. Distraction can cause magic to be erratic. And for those who improved from last year…" She paused briefly. "You continue to come to class every day. You focus, you learn, you grow. Eventually, greater progress will come. You are all dismissed.”

As her students began to pack up, Farah took the moment to approach Penelope and Mila. "Ladies. May I speak to you both for a moment before you leave?"

“Are you ok?” Mila whispered when Penny sat back down. A few of the other students tried to be subtle as they moved away from the burnt smell but Mila didn't. Using her electrical abilities, she was familiar with the smell so it didn't bother her.

But she still made sure to pay attention to the rest of the ceremony, taking notes when necessary. Though it seemed like the rest of the procession went by quickly. She had just started gathering her papers when Ms. Dowling had walked up to them. “Yes, Headmistress.” she answered politely with a nodd, only having a possible reasoning for why she wanted to speak with them.

When Mia had spoken to her, Penny glanced briefly at her roommate. Her only answer was a muffled "fine" muttered under her breath and a slight nod of her head. She didn't really want to get into it with Mia right now, and tried to pay attention for the rest of the lesson. She watched the others show off their powers as well, a bit amazed at what some of them could do but generally trying to put off an air of the opposite. Sure, they mostly had more control than she did, but that wasn't anything to gawk at, she decided.

As the headmistress approached, Penny tried not to make a face. She didn't want to be reprimanded right now, but at least this wasn't happening in front of the whole class. Either way, she figured this must be about her little display. Though since the headmistress had included Mia, maybe it was about something else? Penny doubted that. She waited to hear how she needed to control her powers or something similar, a speech she'd heard a dozen times before from a few different people. All she could hope was that the lecture she was about to receive would include some way to actually help her control the wildfire that was her powers so she could put that knowledge to use. And not something vague, like the "just imagine your happy place" sort of bullshit that she'd heard before.

She decided that she had no choice but to accept as well. "Yes ma'am," she added, glancing at her shoes.

The headmistress smiled warmly to hopefully put the girls' minds at rest before speaking. Her eyes settled on the older fairy first. "Mila, you've demonstrated an immense amount of improvement from the last term. Your control has increased greatly, and with it, your power. You did very well today."

She paused and transitioned to the redhead. "Penelope, I can feel your drive and decisiveness fueling your fire magic. Though it wasn't as controlled as I would have hoped for today, there is greater progress to come, as I said. I believe that with the right teaching and channeling, you can become truly powerful."

She carried on fluidly, aware that all of the other students had by now left the stone circle and were making their way back up the hill to Alfea. "If you don't mind, I'd like to begin private sessions with the two of you. The lessons will be more advanced than what we will cover in class, and I'd also like to see how you fare with expanding into different elements of magic. Mila, you have shown me that you are willing to put in work to control your magic. And Penelope, I truly don't think it will take as much work as you seem to want it to take. Just a bit of guidance in the correct direction."

Headmistress Dowling eyed them both and concluded her brief lecture. "As always, you don't have to come, but after what I've seen today, I believe you both will greatly benefit."

(wow! Great pictures! 🤩 And so much information!)

Mila blushed, lowering her head at the praise. “Thank you, Headmistress.” she said, sincerely grateful before the teacher began speaking to her roommate.

Her jaw dropped at the offer and her hair started to rise from the residual static. “I… I would be honored to attend, Headmistress.” she managed to answer respectfully as she nodded. What more could she say? She was truly amazed by such an offer and, personally, thought that turning it down would be extremely foolish. But she wasn't going to answer for Penny. Nor was she going to pressure her to join if she genuinely didn't want to.

(that is super helpful, thanks! :D)

Penny blinked, having expecting something more akin to being chewed out than being offered private lessons. But private lessons might she needed extra help, didn't she? Like she wasn't good enough to just take the regular classes like everyone else? But then she saw how Mia was acting like this extra help shit was some sort of special curtesy, an honor bestowed by the headmistress. Maybe it was such. After all, Headmistress Dowling seemed genuine, and unlike many teachers Penny had dealt with in the past, not condescending in the slightest. She was trying to offer them help, and god knew that Penny desperately needed it. Though according to the headmistress, it wouldn't be as much work as Penny assumed it would.

The headmistress did also mention the sessions would be more advanced, and usually if she had to take remedial classes, Penny knew that the topics covered were more basic than what was covered in class. So if this was truly more of an honor than a simplification of the courses, then Penny should take it, right? It would be a chance to get ahead and study with a fairy who was clearly in control of her abilities and knew what she was doing. Besides, Penny had taken much more embarrassing classes before, having had to take summer school at one point, so she supposed extra sessions that no one else knew about weren't that bad. She looked back at the headmistress, defiance still shining her eyes before she responded.

"Yeah, I'll go too," she said after a moment. "And you don't have to call me Penelope; I only hear that when I get in trouble. You can call me Penny. Uh…thanks."

“Alright. Penny.” Headmistress Dowling nodded. She fancied the Mila’s enthusiasm, and as for Penelope — Penny… She could both see and feel the air of defiance around her. Interesting.

"Wonderful,” she replied. “If we started tomorrow, would that be too soon for the both of you? I know that it can take a few days to get readjusted to Alfea after the summer break. If you would like to wait, I understand. The sessions will take place in my office. Mila, I trust you can show Penny where that is.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Farah slipped the device out and glanced down briefly to check the notification. It was a message from Saúl. She narrowed her eyes slightly as she opened it, and as she read it, her eyes widened.

Quickly, Farah caught herself and regained control over her emotions as she turned her attention back to the two girls. "Ladies, I'm afraid something urgent has come up. If you'll excuse me, I will see you both tomorrow. Is that alright?”

Mila was admittedly relieved when Penny agreed to the lessons. It would be nice to have someone to talk with about them or figure things out together. “If Penny has no objections, tomorrow would be fine with me.” she nodded, trying to brush her hair back down. At least it was only her hair being affected. “Yes, I remember the way.” she affirmed when asked about leading Penny to Ms. Dowling’s office, though she had to admit she was a little concerned by her teacher’s reaction to whatever had come across her phone.

Penny just stood there with the others, watching the conversation unfold. She honestly didn't care when these lessons started, now that she had already agreed to them. Her main concern didn't have to do with how soon they started, but rather whether she was treated like a child or not. So far it seemed that things would be okay on that end.

"Yeah, sure, tomorrow's fine," Penny agreed, glancing at Mia's hair. So she was definitely excited about these extra sessions. Or nervous? Penny supposed she couldn't be entirely sure. She really did wonder what sort of message the headmistress had received in order for her to react to it. Of course, she had quickly smoothed over her emotions, but even the briefest reaction like that had Penny curious since Headmistress Dowling seemed so in control. She supposed she would likely have to just live in suspense.