The Academy For Mythical Creatures discussion

Upon entering the history classroom, the first thing you might notice is that the architecture of the room is different. It resembles, at first, the hallowed halls of some great castle hidden away in European hills. As the instructor shifts hemispheres, you are thrust into a world of bright colors and tropical birdsong. Be it your first day in this class or your thirty-first, you are overwhelmed with a sense of calm as you settle into your seat. There is only the lesson and the mellow words of the teacher taking you into the past. Your stupor is broken only when the bell rings and by the time you leave, the classroom gives off the final farewell of a harp chord to your exit.

Ziggy walks into the dim lit classroom, holding his books safely under his arm. He takes a seat and tries to ignore the fact that the whole room had a heavy scent of dust. He cracks open his history book and his notes, covered in his neat scribbles, that were tucked away inside, tumble to the ground.

Ziggy was surprised to see Elenour run over so quickly. To be perfectly honest, he was more surprised he had never noticed her before. He takes the notes from her and flashes his charming smile. "Thank you. Very much appreciated, darling." he says, his universal nickname that he used for everyone slipping from his mouth. He flushes red, embarrassed that it never occurred to him to be normal the first time meeting a nice girl.

"Zigmunt Jones." he replies, giving her a grin. "But, uh, you can call me Ziggy...if you'd like. What's your name?" he asks, mentally cringing at himself. He was acting very flustered for no particular reason! He just met this girl...he should be charming and confident. Right?

"Elenour...that's pretty." he says, shaking her hand delicately. He stuffs his notes back into the crease of his history book and leans back in his chair. Just be yourself. Where's your sarcastic charm? he thinks to himself, swallowing the odd feeling in his throat.
"So what brings you to class so early, Elenour?" he ponders, rolling the 'r' in her name.

Ziggy smirks and props his leg up on his knee. "So is he your favorite teacher, then? Personally, I've always preferred our English teacher. He lets me read in class." he asks, observing Elle closely.

Ziggy smiles at her. "Funny, it seems we met for a reason. See, I've been struggling to grasp the amount of history we've been receiving. Perhaps you could tutor me, and help with organizing my note?" he asks.

Charm at its finest looked like stupidity for Ziggy. He wasn't struggling with history. Actually, he was quite good at it. But he felt like he needed an excuse to hang out with this girl. There was something about her that he felt drawn to...but he wasn't sure in what way yet. All he knew is that he had gone with an easy (and honestly pathetic) way to become closer to Elle.

Ziggy shrugs. "This evening? Maybe after supper? We could go outside to a more relaxing location. I think I'll study better when I'm not confined to a building." he suggests, looking into Elenour's eyes.

"Perfect. So, maybe before we have to study together we should get to know each other better. You know, since we're here so early.'' Ziggy says leaning his arm on the desk.

"Well, let's start with an easy one. Favorite colour?" Ziggy asks, giving Elle a small smirk.

"Purple." Ziggy replies quietly. He was almost embarrassed to say it because the colour didn't exactly match his personality. "Okay, your turn to ask me a question. Any question at all, darling."

Ziggy pauses for a moment, thinking carefully. "I like Game of Thrones." he says with a shrug. "I just like the plot and the depth to it, I guess. How about you? What's your favorite show?" he asks, smiling at Elenour.

"Nice! I know Game of Thrones is violent but, ya know." Ziggy says with a shrug. "How about your favorite song?"

"I have many." Ziggy says, leaning back in his chair. "I would like to say my favorite is Dragula by Rob Zombie but it tends to change. It's your turn to ask a question." he says, grinning.

Ziggy laughs. "Um, probably Game of Thrones again. But I also love classics. I think it's more of a comfort thing. My personality sort of...breaks...every once and awhile and I need a comfort novel. "Yours?"

Ziggy laughs. "That's actually cute. Seems like we both have a comfort book, huh?" he says and grins at her. "Why is it your favorite?" he asks, picking up a pen on his desk. He fidgets with it, his long, thin fingers deconstructing it and carefully putting it back together.

Ziggy smiles at her and finds himself lost in her happiness. Her positivity was contagious and he so badly wanted to absorb it all. Yet he tried to keep his cool and be the "charming and semi-standoffish" Ziggy. But there was something about her...
He catches himself blushing. Rubbing his hands over his warm cheeks, he finds himself at a loss for words. He smirks nervously at Elle, praying she'll ignore his rosy cheeks and continue talking.

"Yes, of course. It's just a little warm in here." Ziggy says, recomposing himself. "What were you saying? I'm afraid I interrupted you."

((Whenever you want. I think goule has the history teacher))

Ziggy grins nervously. "So what's your favorite way to relax? I feel like that's always the best way to read people. I find people are most vulnerable whenever they're relaxed." he says, placing his pen back on his desk.

((yeah that sounds good))

Ziggy nods. "Reading a book is probably my favorite way to relax, too. When I get the chance, of course. My studies have been quite time consuming and sometimes I struggle to keep up." he admits, running his index finger through the grooves on the table. "Is there anything else important I should know about you before class begins?" he asks quickly, watching the teacher enter the classroom from his back office.

"Shapeshifter." Ziggy says quietly. He wasn't always sure how he felt about his powers. Many were scared of the form he typically took when he transformed so he tended to play more towards the more "human" side of his abilities.

"Yeah..." Ziggy mumbles, giving her a small wave goodbye. He watches as she trails back to her seat. Class starts and he takes notes, understanding every word and concept. Still...he felt the need for a tutor.

Ziggy neatly packs everything tightly into his leather backpack and slings it over his shoulder. He approaches Elenour with a smirk. "Ready? I saw a lake or something down the way if you want to study out there."

Yuri was sitting at a desk, taking notes while looking over a chapter in her history textbook. She answered the discussion questions that the class would likely go over, preparing to answer them in case the teacher called on her. After answering the questions, she looked looked at the clock, Twenty minutes until class started. She sighed, waiting for class to begin.

Ellie skipped into the classroom, clutching her glittery, pink binders to her chest. Taking a seat near another student (Yuri), she set her study materials down on her own desk, and sorted out her things so that they would be easily accessible once class started. After she'd gotten her desk organized the way she wanted, she looked around for someone to talk to. Yuri, being the closest to her desk, was chosen as the target of conversation. "Hey, has anyone told you that you have really pretty eyes? I'm Eilonwy, but everyone just calls me Ellie. It's easier to remember, I guess." She introduced herself, practically gushing. "What's your name?"

Yuri was surprised by Ellie's compliment. "Not really. Thank you, though. My name is Yuri. Nice to meet you, Ellie" she said, smiling. She could tell Ellie had high energy and positive, as well as more confident. "So, what mythical creature are you?" she asked.

"Nice to meet you too!" Ellie was quick to respond with the appropriate pleasantry. Although she had grown up in a rural and remote area, she had still been raised to have good manners. "Um, I think I'm part dark elf?" She answered, raising a hand so Yuri could see her fingertips, which appeared to be permanently stained with dark ash. "I'm not entirely sure since I was adopted by people who weren't mythical creatures. What mythical creature are you?"

"I'm a kitsune. If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your parents?" Yuri asked. She didn't want to ask too many personal questions, but she hoped Ellie wouldn't be offended by her asking that. "You're the first elf I've met" she added.

Ellie wasn't offended at all. She didn't like secrets, and she would rather be an open book than have to lie and hide things. "I wish I knew." She shrugged. "I never met them. I was found wrapped in a blanket inside a basket by my adopted parents, but sometimes I try to imagine what happened to them just for fun." It didn't bother her much that her parents had given her up. Some people in her position might focus on the negatives, but she would rather think about the positive things, like how lucky she was that her adoptive family was so kind and generous. "I haven't met any elves here yet either. Maybe there aren't many of them here?"

"Maybe. I was born into a family of kitsune, not adopted. My parents never told me until I saw them transform. I was so mad at them, I refused to speak to them for a few days" Yuri said, giving a small laugh. Do you have any adoptive siblings?" she asked.

Ellie nodded along as Yuri spoke, her eyes shining brightly while she listened. She could understand not knowing about being a mythical creature since she had only recently learned she was one, so it was good to find someone she could relate to a little. "No adoptive siblings, but I do have lots of adopted cousins! I used to live in my adoptive family's ancestral home, Heulfryn House, with all my adopted uncles and aunts and cousins, but we were so close that my cousins were really like my siblings. What about you? Do you have siblings or a large family?"

"No, I'm an only child. I do have three cousins, though. My family is pretty small" Yuri said. "Where are you from? And how did you find out you were an elf?" she asked. She lwas relieved that she had something in common Ellie, not knowing they were mythical creatures for a while.

"I'm not from anywhere with a name. The nearest city to us was Ver, but it was more of a town than a city. Where are you from?" Ellie answered the first question as best she could. Usually she just said she was from Heulfryn, but that was only the name of her family's house. Unfortunately, it was hard to describe where she was from when she was from a farm in the middle of nowhere with no major cities nearby. "I kind of just guessed about the elf part. I've never met any, but I have this discoloration on my fingertips and toes like the dark elves supposedly do. Plus, my ears are slightly pointed, and I have magic. It was the only reasonable conclusion I could come to."

"Japan" Yuri replied. "It makes sense that you wouldn't know where you are originally from, since you were adopted. I didn't know dark elves had some discolored skin. That;s interesting" she said. "What are your powers?" she asked.

Ellie beamed at Yuri's reply. "Wow, I've never been to Japan! Do you miss it there?" Far-away places fascinated her since the only place she had ever gone to besides the township of Ver was MC Academy, but she liked to imagine what it would be like in the distant places she read about sometimes.
"I'm still figuring out how to use my magic." She said, frowning slightly. "I have some sort of emotional powers that I don't really understand. Do you have magic powers?"

"Yeah. I haven't been anywhere outside of Japan besides here. Sometimes I wish I could go back. I like the school, it's just I can get homesick" Yuri said. She nodded. "I have powers. I can shapeshift, create illusions, and pyrokinesis, which basically means I can control fire. I understand figuring out your powers. I had a hard time controlling mine at first" she said.

Ellie knew what it felt like to be homesick. She was excited to be somewhere new, but she missed her family and her pets dearly. "Oh, cool! That's so much more interesting than my powers. Did it take you a long time to learn how to use them?"

"Yeah, it took awhile. But, it became a lot easier during my first year here" Yuri said. "You should go to Japan! It's a beautiful country, especially in the spring with all of the cherry blossoms that are around" she said, smiling.

"I've only seen pictures of cherry blossoms." Ellie admitted, a tad wistfully. "What's your favorite thing about living in Japan?" She asked, genuinely interested to hear the answer. But with Ellie, that was normally a given. She didn't like to ask questions if she didn't care about the answer.

"So many things! But I would say my favorite things about living in Japan are the people and food. Everyone is so friendly and kind, and are willing to help you out if you get lost and need to find a certain place. And the food! It's so delicious!" Yuri said. All of the memories of being in Japan flooded her brain, and she smiled.

"So what's your favorite food there? Is Japanese cuisine really different from here?" Ellie asked excitedly, unaware that her second question might sound a tad ignoarant to some people. However, she truly had never been anywhere and had lived in a very small corner of the world, tucked far away from everything else. Her palate was used to venison, salted pork, turnips, potatoes, and pies featuring a variety of berries, so when the academy presented her with the idea of other types of foods, she was astonished.

"Ramen is definitely my favorite. Yeah, some foods we eat in Japan are very different from foods here, since people don't really eat those kinds of foods here. In Japan, we have fried octupus and even pufferfish. I wouldn't recommend eating pufferfish, though, as it can actually be poisonous if not cooked properly. Chefs have to train for years in order to serve pufferfish. And, of course we also have foods that are eaten here, too, like pizza and hamburgers" Yuri said. She was excited sharing information about her country, her eyes lighting up.

"Wait, what's an octopus?" Ellie asked, feeling as elated as Yuri. It was one of the great ironies of her magic. Her powers were supposed to exert their force of emotions on others, but so often she found herself influenced by others' emotions instead.

Yuri giggled. "You don't know what an octopus is? Well. it's basically an underwater creature with eight arms" She pulled out her phone, searching for pictures of an octopus, and showing it to Ellie. "That's what they look like" she said.

Ellie blushed sheepishly and shook her head in answer to Yuri's question. She hadn't lived near an ocean nor had she ever read about the creatures in any of her books before. She preferred romance novels, and none of them had felt the need to include an octopus. "Oh, wow, that's so neat!" She couldn't help but laugh along with Yuri when she saw the picture on her classmate's phone. "Do they taste good?"

"They taste okay. I've only had it at a restaurant a few times. so I don't eat it that often. I love sushi, too. What's your favorite food?" Yuri asked. She knew Ellie didn't know much about the world. She didn't blame her, though, since she grew up pretty shelted from the rest of the world.

((My sincerest apologies for the delay! Work has kept me especially busy the last few days, ugh.))

Ellie nodded. She had a hard time imagining that octopus could taste good after seeing a picture of one, but she knew she shouldn't judge something based on the way it looked on the outside. Her mother had often told her that she would find herself very lonely if she only judged things by their outward appearances. "I love my mom's gingersnaps. She says I have too much of a sweet tooth for my own good, but I can't help it. I really love anything sweet!" She could have gone on much longer about all her favorite desserts, but she didn't want to talk too much and rob Yuri of the chance to say what she was thinking. "What's your favorite thing to do for fun? Oh! Do you have any hobbies or special things you're really good at?" Ellie found the different skills various people had to be fascinating. She often liked to imagine what it would be like to sing like a canary or write poetry or perform feats of endurance or invent new things. Fashion and sewing so often seemed paltry in comparison.

((Don't worry about responding right away! I understand how busy work can be.))

Yuri laughed. "I love sweets, too! Especially chocolate! I'm so obsessed with sweets that my parents actually forced me to cut back on sweets and would take them away from me if they ever caught me eating anything that was sweet. My favorite thing to do for fun? Read! I'm a huge bookworm and love to read whenever I have a chance. I draw, paint, and I like to take pictures, too" she said.

((Okay, thanks! I just always feel bad when my rp partners have to wait on me since I know it can sometimes be a tad frustrating to have a character tied up in an rp that's moving slower.))

Ellie's love of sweets was born of their rarity in her childhood. In winter, there was molasses and syrup, and on birthdays and holidays there were cakes and cookies and pies. But for most of the year, the pantries lacked sweets. "I love chocolate too! Whenever we visited town, my cousin Pip would buy chocolates for me and my other cousins." A radiant smile graced her lips at the mention of her dear cousins, all of whom she missed. "I like reading also. Do you have any favorite books or genres?" She asked, straightening her sparkly, pink headband.

((No problem!))

"Yeah, the only times my parents don't get mad at me for eating sweets were my birthday, since they would always make a cake for me. And Christmas, too. They always buy candy and a cake during that time. But, since my parents aren't here right now, I can eat sweets whenever I want without them yelling at me" Yuri said with mischievious smile. She changed the subject back to books. "I prefer to read fiction and history. I love history, and have always been fascinated by it" she said.