Location: Hall of Ancients, Strange Academy
Skills: Fae Magic
Finley had been surprised by the box. It had played pleasant tones. Her and Dys had been entranced by it, curious when it opened. Reading the letter they made sure they arrived at the designated location on time. Fin arrived only a moment or two before the doors opened and they were permitted into the room with the fish tank.
There was an assortment of people, some that Fin knew, others that they didn’t. Fin currently wore their masculine face, with cotton candy colored hair. Finley felt Dysphoria’s unease spike. They froze examining the room. What was dangerous here? The other students? The professors? The fish tank? There were enough unknowns that Finley couldn’t be sure. Something about this place was wrong, but what?
Fin watched as Barty drew from the tank, and then Connie nearly drowned, and then...suffocated(?) herself. If one of the professors hadn’t intervened Fin would have tried. Their own magic could change shapes, though usually it was only an illusion. The Daoine Sidhe were not usually adept at transformation magic, which may be why they could do it best with themself.
”This place is unnerving Dys. Be ready in case something happens,” Finley said. Who they were talking to was not clear to anyone who didn’t already know Finley. Finley was considering moving forward to the fish tank when someone excitedly introduced themself. Was this person who was setting off Dysphoria’s danger sense? They made no move to attack.
”Ah, hello. I am called Finley. I have not seen you around so I suspect you are correct in your assumption that you are new. Though I doubt I know everyone who roams these halls. Constance would be a better judge if you are new or not.” He points to a young woman with bright red hair.
”Excuse me for a moment, I believe I need to catch a fish.” Finley stepped away from Jake and up to the fish tank. He had seen two attempts at getting a fish. Nicholas’s magic they had smelled in the air just before he appeared at the edge of the room. With a slight shrug Fin reached into the tank and in her hand was a worm for one of the fish to be enticed by.
It took but seconds when a fish fell for the little trap and Finley snatched a fish out of the water. They realized instead of one fish they had two in their hand. Fin looked between the two
keys. Fin was almost afraid it would be precious metals coating iron, but there was no pain. This implied to Fin that the key was probably solid gold. Interesting, that seemed strange for the humans to do. The other
key caught their attention more. The wings were beautiful and made Fin smile. Almost a private joke. They tossed the golden key back into the water, it turned back into a fish immediately.
Finley stepped away from the tank, heading toward the twins.
“What fantastic technique. Elegant and efficient." Mikkail murmured quietly to Croan, who seemed to have nothing to say.
Location: Hall of Ancients, Strange Academy
Skills: Transform self
Connie had been early. Easily an extra thirty minutes over the recommended time. She had been pacing while waiting. This was something she had hoped for for a while now. Connie had been an excellent student. Now she could go into more independent study and she was excited. As she paced she shook her hands out and opened and closed her fists. It was movement you would associate with someone having pins and needles in their hands.
When the door opened and she could enter the room, she did not notice Nicholas. She focused on the fish tank. The flashing colors had caught her attention. Reading the note she considered sticking her hand in and just trying to catch one of the fish. It reminded her of crawdad fishing as a little girl. A pleasant memory, one of the rare ones from before her Father had taken her.
She might have been able to catch one of the fish with her hand, but decided instead to transform. Leaning over the tank Connie let the magics shift her. It happened quickly, but it was the wrong shape. Not her normal bird form she preferred. Instead she turned into a finch. Stupid little birds with dumb mouths. Connie didn’t have time to flap her wings, she was tumbling into the tank. There was a splash and her wings were soaked. Connie was the wrong type of bird to fly with wet wings.
Connie quickly went through the catalog of animals she was capable of transforming into. Her favorite form was the bird, but that was not going to help now. What creature would? Obviously, a fish would be ideal. Connie could only think of those hot summer nights catching crawdads and eating catfish. She imagined the form, the muscles, the bones, and felt her body shift again.
Now as a fish herself she darted around spotting a green colored fish that was near her. Connie snatched it into her mouth. Catfish were adept at leaping from water. She did just that and as she fell to the ground outside the tank her magic flared and she shifted. Though, she hadn’t had the image fully in mind and failed to shift fully. Connie still had gills, and had failed to make her lungs fully human. She gasped, the key falling from her mouth where it had been still.
Air. She thought.
Curses.“Seven years produced this? Pathetic.” Professor Croan drawled, a sick amusement in his eyes. Sariel watched the display with a poorly concealed grimace.
“Goodness gracious!” Professor Mikkail exclaimed as Connnie dragged herself out, gills still fluttering. He wove magic in shifting patterns and they smoothed out into skin once more. “Right as rain, Connie! Take a few deep breaths before you get going, just to make sure everything works alright, deary.”
Connie gasped.
Oh, blessed air. She nodded.
”Tried to do that much too quickly.” Connie explained. Jumping from water into air was not something she had practiced. She mentally added it to a list of things to practice.
In her human skin with human lungs Connie took a slow breath. She looked at the
key that had fallen out of her mouth, Connie picked it up. She stepped away from the tank examining the key curiously.
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