Magical Teacher Professor Landry! - Chapter 1: Just a Normal School

[Riin Whitewind]

Sao watched the hunched shoulders of an angry Shinobu until they had left the cafeteria, leaning on her elbows against the false wood tabletop. Sturdy, and powerful. A good protector or initiatior... But a bit of a loose cannon. She chewed lightly on her lower lip, wondering if she should have stepped in. I'll have to ask her about the tusks - no, I'll ask Kirk what he thinks, first. Once safely out of earshot, the comparitively dimunitive Dal laughed a second time. The undine was surprised at his resilience. "You're not terribly fazed by intimidation, are you." It wasn't a question.

"Well, that could have gone a bit better." Dal merely smiled, and retook his seat across from her. A smile in return was drawn across Sao's lips without her realizing. Perhaps I should simply drown Jay? Hm, no. That would be difficult to explain. She ran tanned fingers through her hair, pushing the black locks back into short, upright spikes.

"But... as I was saying, you'll have to forgive me my indiscretions." Not privy to Sao's wandering attention, Dal continued. "It's a..." The undine watched his eyes drift up towards the ceiling in thought. "...flaw of my lineage."

Movement behind him drew her crystalline gaze, as a nervous-looking boy with a dinner-heaped tray stared wistfully in their direction. The boy, the undine recognized as he chose a table not far from theirs, was a classmate - but she wasn't sure of his name. He must have introduced himself before she got to class.

Dalbhach continued with a voice as smooth and warm as a con-artist drawing in his mark. "There are few Nuadas who are capable of merely asking for a favor rather than making machination upon machination or grand shows and plots, but allow me, if you will, to do so now: Please, be my study buddy and help me keep Jay and Dean from killing each other?"

Before the swimmer could even open her mouth to speak, Dal continued as if he'd just remembered the tusks an inch from his face. "Oh, and of course I'm not withdrawing the invitation to your friend." He gestured vaguely towards the door with a raspberry, "She's still welcome as well, just... ask her not to grind me into paste?" His smile was confident, as if the last few minutes had proceeded according to plan.

Again, Sao found herself smiling back. "I will ask, as it would be a shame to ruin that smile." She leaned back from the table, covering her mouth with her palm to mime deep consideration. Her mind was already made up, but it didn't hurt for him to squirm a little.

"For your apology, and your courteous invitation, I will accept." The undine tilted her head to the side in unconscious query. "From your explanation, I gather both are difficult for you, so I forgive the trick." She glanced in the unnamed boy's direction again, watching him pick at his meal with the short, stabbing motions of self-recrimination.

Picking up her laden tray, Sao stood, pushing the chair back with her knees. "If you'll excuse me for a moment?" She deliberately chose a trashbin on the other side of the room for her tray, taking a return path that would take her near Jack's table. The black haired girl waited for him to notice her, then smiled reassuringly. "Would you like to sit with us? We won't bite." She gestured towards 'her' table, where Dal was critically inspecting a cookie.

[Dracorion]

Just go over there.
This isn't a socially cripped thing! You just don't like them!
You were in one class with them and even if that girl seemed too uptight and Dalbach kind of a son of a bitch that's no actual basis on which to dislike them! You have to get to know them better.
Now that's just bullshit.
No, you're the one full of bullshit and you know it. Get over there.

Jackson's absentminded eating was interrupted, and his internal argument rendered moot, when the black-haired swimmer from class walked up to him and Jack looked up. As if waiting for him to notice, she smiled reassuringly the moment he turned towards her. "Would you like to sit with us? We won't bite." She gestured toward the table where Dalbach sat. "... Sure." Jack said. He picked up his tray and walked with the girl back to her table. What was her name....?

Oh, right. Sao, wasn't it? He sat down awkwardly and opened his mouth before realizing he had no idea what to say. "Ahhhh... I'm Jack. Nice to meet you." He blurted.

[IHateMakingNames]

After about an hour of painting, Michael had enough with this art room. He didn't know where he was, the room was dark save for the creepy candle lighting, there was a quite petite girl who only added to the creepy atmosphere, and that damn doll. Every time Michael looked over, that doll appeared to be staring right back at him. After one instance where the nervous student was certain the doll moved, he was done. With a quick announcement about needing to use the bathroom, Michael rushed out the door. If the teacher had followed, he would have certainly just ran.

To get over his bad morning, Michael decided to go to the tennis courts. The painting had ruined any mood for drawing that he may have had, so the next best choice was hitting some tennis balls. It wasn't yet club time, but with this liberally scheduled school, that didn't appear to be a problem.

After a while of self-practice, other tennis players started to show up after their homerooms finished. Various amounts of practice and games were played during the next several hours, with Michael there for most of it. By the end, he was tired and hunger.

Poor timing meant Michael ended up eating alone, but that was no problem for him. The rest of the club members had already eaten or went home after club hours. The now lone tennis player had no club members to eat with, and he missed his homeroom so he couldn't eat with classmates. There was the creepy art girl, but Michael had no intention of finding her to eat with. Instead he took an empty table and watched what he thought was going to be a fight in the cafeteria. Unfortunately it seems like things calmed down.

[Riin Whitewind]

Sao smiled and held her hand out to shake, repeating his name to solidify it in her memory. "Jack. Great! I was wondering, since I got into class too late for your introduction."

"As I'm sure you know, this is Dal." She gestured towards the other emerald-eyed boy at the table.

The swimmer leaned nonchalantly on the table, keeping both boys in easy sight. "Did I miss anything from the beginning of class?"

[Dracorion]

"It's... Sao, right?" Jack asked to make sure, as he shook the girl's hand. She gestured towards Dalbach, and Jack extended his hand to him. "Hi."

Sao proceeded to ask if she missed anything from the start of the class. Jack stared intently at the table as he rattled his brains. "Hmm... no, I don't think you did. Just Professor Landry being... whatever she is."

These two wouldn't know about school alumni... his best bet would be to ask Professor Landry after class tomorrow, or after getting acquainted with the Social Club. But talking to Professor Landry would be the soonest he could get it done, and that was that.