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

Started December 03, 2022 by @emilyevewrites group

tune

Well, maybe that uncomfortable experience had somehow bonded Penny and Mila? Penny couldn't say she was complaining, because despite her annoyed behavior at times, she actually did like Mila. She just hoped that in order to bond they wouldn't have to deal with any more strange girls. Though she refused to admit it, she was kind of excited about this whole thing with the headmistress as well. Excited and nervous both. But she didn't want Mila–or anyone, for that matter–to think she that she actually liked Ms.Dowling. What if Penny's worries were right and the woman was out to get her or something? How stupid would she look then? For now it was safer to assume the worst, but Penny was starting to hope for the best.

She opened the door for Mila once they arrived, trying to make up for her hot-and-cold behavior by being nice. She really needed to get better at interacting with others if she wanted to make and maintain more friendships.

Callum looked up quickly at the sound of the door opening. And he couldn't help but feel relieved to see two girls enter – neither of which was Beatrix. "You're Penelope and Mila, correct?" He looked down at the note on his desk from the headmistress. "Er, sorry. Penny. She wrote Penelope but crossed it out. You're here for…" He trailed off again, glancing back down at Farah's handwriting. "Your private lesson?"

Farah, who had seated herself back at her desk after shutting the door on Beatrix, lifted her head hearing voices speaking outside of her office. She shut the file on her desk without sparing another glance at it and rose from her seat as she used her magic to open the door. It revealed Mila and Penny standing in the room adjacent – the headmistress's secretary's "office" – and Callum was speaking to them. The headmistress nodded her head in greeting and motioned for Mila and Penny to enter. “Hello, girls. Come in.”

Callum pressed his lips into a thin smile and sat back down at his desk.

“Thank you.” Mila smiled at her roommate before walking into the office, still trying to fix her hair. “Yes. That's us.” she nodded when Callum spoke. She remembered seeing him around the school a few times last year but they didn't interact much. Mostly because they were both busy, she with being a student and he was always doing something for Ms. Dowling or occasionally one of the other teachers.

Her attention was quickly diverted when the second set of doors opened and Ms. Dowling beckoned them in. “Hello, Headmistress Dowling.” she replied with a note of eagerness. She had really been looking forward to these lessons all-day.

Penny had nodded at her name, blinking in surprise as Callum corrected himself. Huh, so Ms.Dowling really had bothered to remember that she went by Penny and disliked the name Penelope. That already earned Ms.Dowling more points in Penny's mind. If she wasn't careful, then she might end up actually liking the headmistress. She was in an odd position, trying not to get too attached to an authority figure, but at the same time wanting to like her.

"Uh, thanks," Penny muttered to Callum before following Mila. She walked behind her roommate, looking markedly less eager but feeling eager nonetheless. She was excited, if a bit nervous as well, but she had gotten good at hiding it. Too late she remembered that Ms.Dowling was a mind fairy, so she tried to tamp down her enthusiasm mentally as well. She had to stay skeptical of this woman just in case. Sure she seemed nice, but Penny had dealt with seemingly nice people before who turned out to be manipulative or mean behind people's backs. She couldn't afford to just blindly like Ms.Dowling, despite how kind the woman seemed.

"Hello Mila," Farah answered easily, her eyes glowing as she used her magic to shut the door once both girls were inside her office. "Hello, Penny."

The headmistress came around from behind her desk and approached the pair with steps that were swift and sure. Her authority and confidence presented themselves not only with her magic but the way she seemed to be able to command the attention of anyone in a room with her. She had an air about her that was mysterious and elusive, yet also she was refined and mild. Her posture was that of a humble librarian combined with a powerful queen. Her warm but firm brown eyes studied both of the young fairies before her, and she tilted her head slightly.

"Are you both ready to begin?”

Mila let out a calming breath as the door closed behind them. There was always something about Ms. Dowling that invoked a rush of nerves and assurance. “Yes, ma’am. I’m ready.” she nodded, sure that the older woman could tell what she was feeling even without her magic. Though she kept brushing her hands against her arms to dispel the extra static and blushed as she remembered the state of her hair. That certainly made it look like she hadn't been practicing as much as she really had been.

(no worries! i probs could have gone too tbh)

Penny tried to look as nonchalant as possible, like she didn't care whether she were here or not, trying to tamp down her rampant excitement and curiosity in order to appear the same way mentally as well. She didn't want Ms.Dowling getting the impression that Penny liked her or was excited to be here, after all. She couldn't afford to lose any ground in this relationship. Not that she had much positive relationships with authority figures to go off of.

She glanced at Mila as her roommate replied, wishing she had brought a hair brush with her. The girl was surely embarrassed about her current hair situation. Penny understood. She had horrible luck and wouldn't be surprised if she had a bad hair day soon as well, self-induced or otherwise. She swallowed, trying to appear as confident as possible–both mentally and physcially–before agreeing.

"I'm ready too."

The headmistress could feel the mixed emotions swirling in the two girls before her. It was difficult to tell their feelings apart since they were experiencing rather similar emotions, but Farah was able to pick out a few recognizable ones: excitement, nerves, curiosity, determination, and worry.

All of the feelings radiating from Mila and Penny were things she had dealt with before in past students. Though, as Farah had learned, everyone could feel the same emotions quite differently, so she made sure not to jump to any conclusions yet. In her adult years, Farah Dowling would never be called hasty.

Once both girls confirmed that they were indeed ready to begin, she inhaled and spoke thoughtfully.

“As you remember, Mila, last year our focus was solely on control. Yesterday in the Stone Circle, it was evident that those lessons from last year paid off. And Penny, I think that's exactly where I should like to start with you. Your abilities are strong. Fire is a very powerful element, as I'm sure you well know. But a powerful element without control gets you nowhere. To begin today, I’d like to make sure what I saw yesterday was an accurate representation of your abilities, Penny, and for Mila, your growth. I’d like you each individually to channel your magic. Here and now. In my office.”

Farah turned when she was finished speaking and made her way back behind her desk. "Either of you may begin, but preferably soon. I don't have all afternoon," she remarked.

Her lithe fingers moved aside the files she'd been working on and brought out a new one. This one was much thinner than any other files on her desk, and it only contained a few pieces of paper. Still, she studied it with a narrowed gaze for a moment before looking up to see which girl would take her turn first. She had a guess, and she wanted to see if she was right.

Penny glanced at Mila, noticing that the girl didn't seem to be starting, so she sighed. Guess Penny would start. She was impatient and hated waiting, so if Mila wasn't starting now, then Penny would. Let's get this over with, she grumbled inwardly. This part of the lesson would probably be her least favorite–well, unless the headmistress started completely roasting her for her lack of control or something–and she was happy to go first if that meant being done with it already.

She summoned a small fireball in her balm, concentrating so that it would be just the right size. Too small, and it would look crude and simple, as if she didn't have to power to make something bigger. Too big, and she might very well lose control, and burning down Ms.Dowling's office was the last thing that she wanted to do. She breathed carefully, thinking only about the ball of fire she was currently holding. Her eyes were bright, changing to the color of flames. So far, so good. She glanced up to see the others' reactions, proud of herself for not messing this one up.

No, no. Her overconfidence after a small feat had gotten her into trouble last time, and she couldn't afford that happening again. She tried to breathe like she'd been instructed to the one time she had attempted meditation. Yes, that was it. The fireball wasn't constant, writhing and roiling as it grew and shrank in size slightly, but it was much better than her previous attempt. The fireball, however, started to have a mind of its own. It seemed like it wanted to grow, and it was mad at Penny for not having enough control to allow it that. Of course, it was all in her head, but it felt real. Penny began to sweat lightly, trying to prevent her powers from going haywire. Slowly, with its pulsing, the fireball grew gradually larger. Before things could get out of hand again, though, Penny noticed and pulled back her power entirely, letting the fireball disappear. Good. Look how good she had been at controlling it.

She looked up at Ms.Dowling for comment, brushing a hair that had fallen in her face away as she looked at the headmistress. She knew there was a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead from trying to control it, but it was still progress. At least she hadn't burned down the building. "So?"

Farah narrowed her eyes for a split second at Penny's display. She could feel the girl's impatience, which turned to concentration. And the headmistress felt the exact second her emotions strayed from pride into overconfidence. She noted every micromovement Penny made trying to keep the fireball from growing too large while making sure it didn't get too small. It was a terribly fine line to walk, which was most likely the reason her magic was slightly unstable.

But the girl was at least able to dispel her own magic without Farah needing to intervene. It was a step up from the events at the Stone Circle yesterday, Farah supposed. Still… her eyes studied Penny as the girl looked to her once she finished. The headmistress set down the file in her hands and didn't hesitate to make direct eye contact with the young fire fairy and arched her eyebrows slightly.

"What do you want me to say?" Farah asked. "That it was better? That I'm glad you didn't burn my office to the ground and the rest of the campus with it? No. I expected you not to. I knew that you wouldn't let yourself.

"A fairy's magic is as consistent as his or her emotions. Yours are unregulated and completely unpredictable. That in itself makes your magic erratic, which can be quite dangerous. It doesn't matter how much control you possess. Runaway emotions always lead to runaway magic. You may think yourself in control when, really, you aren't. Remember, you control your magic. It does not control you."

Farah lifted her chin slightly, but her eyes softened slightly. "I know that in your other schools, you struggled. But do not let that define you here, especially not when you come to this office. I will not sympathize with unjustified emotions. You are here because I chose you." Her gaze moved over to Mila to incorporate her in the discussion as well. "The both of you." The headmistress's brown eyes moved back to Penny.

"Do you think I made a mistake?" She spoke as if daring the girl to challenge her while also seeming genuinely curious about her response.

Penny wasn't surprised at the headmistress's words, though part of her had wanted to be told that she did a good job. She knew Ms.Dowling was right, though; she wasn't really in control of her own abilities, much less her own emotions. Sure, on the surface was good at faking a more chill disposition at times, but on the inside her emotions were fiery and mercurial. She knew that she should probably work on reigning them–Ms.Dowling was not the first one to suggest it, but she was the first to do so without any sort of condescension or superiority. Penny didn't dislike her no-nonsense approach, if she were honest.

But what did unjustified emotions even mean? Penny frowned, unsure what she could even do about that. Was the headmistress just trying to tell her to tone down the negative emotions that often roiled in her mind? It was certainly possible. It wasn't as if she could just change her entire mindset and defense mechanisms that easily though; surely the headmistress had to understand that. Still, Penny supposed that she wasn't really making much of an attempt to fix her innate distrust of most people, and easily angered temperament.

At the headmistress's question, Penny locked her gaze back onto Ms.Dowling. She would not flinch. Penny was the strong one, never turning her back on a fight, and she never flinched first. She stared at the woman with a practiced, carefully neutral gaze. "No," she said after a moment, the word practically ripping itself from her throat. Even if the answer were yes, she would not have admitted it. "This won't be like my last schools. That's why I'm here, isn't it? To help prevent that sort of thing happening again." She was sure the headmistress knew all about her "troubled" past, so she didn't feel the need to explain further.

Farah took note of the way Penny felt as the younger fairy interpreted her words. There was both confusion and perception; Farah could understand that. And she picked up on the frown as well. She was waiting for another response, practically expecting one. But there was nothing of the sort. Not until Penny answered Farah's question.

The word had a strong undercurrent of urgency that Penny was mostly successful in holding back. But Farah was able to notice the weight the word carried. "No, Penny," Headmistress Dowling answered the fire fairy, glancing down at the file in front of her before moving it onto a stack on the left-hand side of her desk. "You’re here because you knew you had no other choice.” There was a strong finality to her words.

Her brown eyes flickered over to the air fairy beside Penny. "Mila, would you like to proceed with the lesson?"

Penny frowned deeper at this, sticking out her bottom lip a bit at the response. That was certainly not what she was expecting, but also not untrue. After a moment of letting that sink in, she smoothed out her features carefully into a more neutral expression, glancing at her roommate. Good, now the pressure was off of her. It was Mila's turn. That was one benefit of going first; if Mila did really well, Penny at least wouldn't have to follow that with her own lack of control.

She was actually curious to see how her friend would do, since she had been going to this school longer than Penny had, though she apparently was somewhat infamous for a lack of control similar to Penny's the previous year. Maybe her level was where Penny would be a year from now. Just thinking about having to work hard and hone her abilities did sort of annoy her, but she knew that was really the only way to fix things. Besides, the idea of being able to really control her powers was a tempting one, and there was no cheat code for that sort of ability. Penny knew that by now, having already tried to cut corners and failing.

“Yes, Headmistress.” Mila nodded when Ms. Dowling prompted her to begin. She had watched Peny’s demonstration and listened to the conversation between her and Ms. Dowling… She had just chosen to not say or do anything other than observe.

Though a part of her was relieved that Penny had gone first, she also felt a little bad that she hadn't stepped up when Ms. Dowling had started the lesson. She closed her eyes and let out a slow steady breath as she focused on channeling her magic. It honestly always felt a little harder without the help of the Stone Circle but that was exactly what part of the practice was to help overcome. Once again, there was a soft rolling sound of thunder before a bright flash of light appeared, though not quite as… neat as Mila’s demonstration the other day.

Farah selected another file. This one was a bit thicker than the one she'd previously had, though not by very much. A few more papers were clipped together in the front of this one, and she moved them aside to observe another sheet's contents.

She glanced up quickly when she felt the slight regret emanating from Mila. The girl then summoned her magic. The display was… passable.

Farah narrowed her eyes briefly and tilted her head. She didn't need her abilities to see right through the young fairy. Reading people was a skill she'd developed from years of being the headmistress for so long in addition to having strong mind fairy abilities. And as she observed Mila, the girl's nervousness was obvious. Maybe not physically, but there was something off about the way she'd channeled her magic. It wasn't as clean and precise as Farah had seen in the Stone Circle. The headmistress knew what Mila was capable of, and this was not it.

There was something, a recent memory, that Farah could feel pulling in the back of the girl's mind, and it was affecting her magic.

Without a word, Farah's eyes glowed silver-blue with her magic. When she lifted her hand up ever so slightly, Mila's magic became nothing more than a crackle of static for a moment before completely disbanding. It was a very small motion with a very large amount of power behind it.

"What in the Otherworld are you so worried about, hmm?" Farah questioned suddenly, frowning slightly while she spoke. She slowly paced out from behind her desk again and approached Mila intently. When she was a few feet away, the headmistress softly murmured, "You're very nervous. What is it?”

Mila blushed when her magic stopped, turning her head down as the headmistress spoke. “I’m sorry, Ms. Dowling.” she said, sure that her teacher was disappointed in her. “I… I was embarrassed that I didn't step up when you started the lesson.” she admitted. “And… I… I guess I was a little distracted by an encounter we had in the hall.”

Farah's expression remained the same except for her eyes. They softened slightly. "When you channel magic and apply it in a physical form, it mirrors your emotions," the headmistress stated. "Your lightning was controlled, which was excellent, but it was… how can I put this? Frazzled. It was disorderly and bordering chaotic. You don't owe me an explanation of the encounter, but I can feel that it unsettled you."

It had to be that girl, Beatrix. She was the only one who would have been in the hallway that Mila and Penny could've possibly encountered. Farah tucked the thought away in the back of her mind before she cracked a small, kind smile.

"With that being said, there is no reason to be sorry. This is an important point I need to make before we continue here. Negative emotions are unreliable and weakening. But strong, positive emotions are powerful and steady. Let your positive emotions fuel your magic as you release it, but you must also control it."

Suddenly, without any knock of warning, the door to her office burst open, and in strode Specialist Headmaster Silva. The look on his face was urgent. "Farah, there's been–" He quickly cut himself off from finishing whatever he was about to say when his grey gaze locked on the two girls standing in front of Farah. It caught him off guard, and he hesitated a moment before speaking again.

"I need to talk to you," he eventually got out. The headmistress met his gaze, and a mutual understanding passed between them.

Ms. Dowling nodded. "Please excuse me, girls. I'll be back momentarily." With that, Farah was headed for the door, Saul following her and guiding her out with a hand on her lower back before either Mila or Penny could say anything. The door shut soundly behind them.

Penny simply watched the headmistress leave, trying to figure out what was going on just by studying the adults. Yeah, that was no good. She was a fire fairy, not a mind fairy, so her ability to tell what was going on without words was limited. She glanced at Mila, wondering if the older girl knew anything about this. She had been here longer, after all, so many she had an educated guess of why Ms.Dowling was leaving in the middle of their training session. Whatever the reason, it didn't seem good.

"Do you have any idea what that's about?" she asked her roommate, glancing back in the direction that Ms.Dowling had left again. "They both seemed a bit shaken. Are things always like this here?" She assumed the answer to that question was a no, but she asked nonetheless. In order to figure out how bad this thing was, it would be a good idea to know if these sort of visits were normal. Penny was a bit of the prying type, especially when it involved people who she was a bit suspicious about.

Mila had been about to smile at the headmistress's words and thank her for the encouragement when Mr. Silva interrupted the lesson. Fortunately, the air fairy wasn't using any magic at the time and didn't accidentally shock anyone when he walked in.

“Uh, no.” the blonde replied, answering both of Penny’s questions. “Mr. Silva is the headmaster of the Specialists that train here. So, I always thought they talk a lot but I haven't seen either of them that shaken before.” she admitted. “Should we just wait like she said or…” her eyes darted to the door, silently asking if she wanted to listen in. Even though she knew they would both get in trouble if they got caught… And it would be very hard to sneak anything past a mind fairy of Farah Dowling’s level.

Penny smirked, liking this side of her roommate. She glanced toward the door as well, inching toward it carefully. "I like the way you think," she muttered, getting closer so as to possibly eavesdrop on the conversation. However, she did her best to send unrelated thoughts to the forefront of her mind, hoping to hide her intentions from the headmistress. Perhaps if she didn't think about eavesdropping at all, it could work? Instead, she kept thinking about her powers and how to control them and what Ms.Dowling had said earlier.

She glanced over at Mila, curious to know if the other girl was going to join in. Technically Penny really shouldn't be doing this sort of thing, especially considering her dicey past in school, but she was really curious. She still didn't know much about the headmistress, and maybe this would give her some insight on whether the woman was truly trustworthy.

Mila smiled a little when Penny picked up on her hint and joined her quietly by the door. Normally m, she wasn't sure if she would work up the nerve to eavesdrop on anyone, let alone a teacher, but… Something in the look on both their faces made the air fairy curious. What could possibly worry Ms? Dowling so much?

Unknowingly, she took a similar approach to Penny and tried not to think about what she was doing. Just random thoughts of taking Ms. Dowling’s advice and magic in general.

The headmistress and headmaster stood close together and spoke in hushed voices a few feet away from the door to the headmistress' office. Farah had instructed Callum to leave his office, so the space was clear.

"I've spoken with my contacts in the other realms," Saul murmured. "No other sightings of Burned Ones."

Farah sighed softly. "So ours was just a fluke?" she asked, looking at the door to her office briefly. There was a sort of hope to her tone, but she knew as well as Saul did that it was most likely misguided hope.

"Maybe, but it's a dangerous fluke," he countered.

At that, Farah quickly looked back at him and scoffed. “Saul,” she began, sensing where the conversation was going.

"The capitol's prison is more secure than ours, and the queen would scan its memories if you asked,” Saul stated firmly. If one was paying close attention to the way he spoke, headmaster's voice sounded borderline desperate. It was like this was something he'd been trying to convince Farah to do before.

The headmistress inhaled swiftly. "This is my school, Saul." Her voice was set and stern.

"Yes, it's a school, and there's already gossip," he countered almost immediately. It was like he was prepared for exactly what Farah was going to say. Most times, she really loved that about him. But sometimes, like now, she really hated it. He knew her so well it was terrifying. "It's only a matter of time before the kids cross the Barrier to find it,” he continued quietly. "Please, let's do this right."

Farah hugged her arms across her chest and pressed her lips together, looking at him skeptically.

"Farah… the chains in the barn won't be able to hold it forever. And it may even be somewhat resistant to the Zanbaq. Sure, Ben is preparing more, but if you gave it as much as you said you did and it still woke up, that worries me. It very nearly scratched you this morning. What would you have done if it broke your skin and I hadn’t been there with you?”

“But you were there with me,” Farah whispered. She let her arms drop to her sides reluctantly, and he gently reached out and took her hands in his. His thumbs ran over her knuckles to soothe her.

"Let me make arrangements with the queen's army to transport it safely," he pleaded, gazing into her brown eyes with his grey ones. Farah had studied them long enough to know that they were a cool grey, not blue like most people thought. She much preferred grey eyes to blue.

The headmistress shook her head, closed her eyes, and sighed. "Alright," she whispered softly, relenting to his incessant request. Her eyes opened again and met his with a new intensity. "But be careful."

Saul nodded, clearly relieved that she had changed her mind. "I will be,” he assured her, smiling slightly.

"Please, Saul," Farah insisted, and he guided her hands to press flat against his chest right above his heart. She could feel the beat of it through his clothes. "This is serious," she reminded him, though the pair both already knew that it was likely the most dangerous situation they'd encountered in their positions as headmistress and headmaster. "Promise me that you’ll be careful."

"I'll be careful," he repeated confidently. "I promise."

Farah let out a long, slow exhale. “And you’ll be back as soon as you can?”

"Farah, I swear to you on the Seven Realms that I won't be back a second later than I have to be.” He leaned closer to his fairy and pressed a gentle, chaste kiss to her forehead to relax her. It worked, and Farah's shoulders dropped slightly. She hadn't realized how stiff and tense they were. "Let me go call Luna and make the arrangements.”

With that, he let go of her hands, took a step back to gaze at her, and then turned to leave. His footsteps receded in the distance as he strode down the hall.

Farah sighed and watched him walk out the door, hugging her arms around her torso and thinking to herself. She was too wrapped up in her own mix of emotions to worry about anyone else’s for the time being. And in a brief moment, she nearly forgot the two girls were in her office for the private lesson.

Saul was right. She’d neared the Burned One to read its memories, and just as she was making progress, it lunged at her. If Saul hadn’t reacted and pulled her away, it most certainly would’ve scratched her, broken her skin, and she would’ve been infected with the venom. She shuddered at the thought, reminded of the scar on her right thigh.

Burned Ones were a threat that had somehow made their way back into the Otherworld after sixteen years of presumed extinction. And it was now Farah’s responsibility to keep her students safe from the harm they caused. At the realization, her mind began to track in a new direction. One she definitely didn’t want it going in.

More memories surfaced, each one more painful than the last, from the time when she’d fought the Burned Ones before – on Alfea's premier battalion. And who she had been loyal to – Alfea’s previous headmistress. Farah shuddered.