Riven Wight

Mystic Orphanage (Aristocles and Siaya Dragalorn)

Great! I just assumed and finished up the post. I would have edited if needed, though. Hope you don't mind. :-)

The Collector (2) [Closed]

@shi12
Ugh. I'm sorry you have to deal with that. I hope it feels better soon!

Mystic Orphanage (Aristocles and Siaya Dragalorn)

Thayva Sighed and shook her head as she watched Arjun hurry through their upper floor living quarters.
Oh, Arjun, she thought fondly, following in the boy’s footsteps at a leisurely pace. She went through what looked like a closet door just large enough for Serapis to fit through. A set of sturdy wood stairs spiraled downward, creating a back exit hidden from the students.
Though they had a front door that would lead her closer to her destination, she loved taking the back way, one of the ‘secret passages’ that only a select few of the staff were trusted to know about.
She made her way down the twisting stairs, their dimensions perfect for a dracon. Only the click of her claws against the wood echoed around her.
She passed through another door the size of the wall into a closet, the doorway behind her appearing to be little more than the back of the closet. She picked her way through the clutter of cleaning supplies and emerged through the second door a few feet in front of her into a large storeroom on the bottom level. A few desks specially designed to be used from the cushions strewn through the room were stacked precariously about. Other cabinets housed various supplies the children would need for their studies.
Leaving the storeroom, Thayva locked the door behind her, padded the scroll at her waist to make sure it was still there, then headed to the front of the mansion.

* * *

The young halfling’s pace quickened slightly as he felt someone following him, and not in the simple, going-where-he’s-going way. The presence felt like it was one of the older boys… or at least someone relatively tall.
“Hi there!”
The halfling jumped and spun around, his fists coming up in front of him to defend himself in what little way he could. Despite his attempt at looking menacing, he still only managed something between cute and scared.
He looked up at the red-scaled dracon towering before him.
The halfling slowly lowered his fists as the dracon continued to speak, suspicion in his hazel eyes. Arjun, he believed he had heard others call him, which the dracon confirmed.
“So, uh, what’s your name?” Arjun finished.
The halfling blinked at him, surprised that anyone would bother to ask anymore. Arjun looked friendly enough--perhaps trustworthy, even, if the instincts nagging at him were correct. He opened his mouth slightly and inhaled as if to answer, part of him begging to hear someone call him by his real name again, the name his parents chose for him.
A knot formed in his stomach at the thought of his parents. He felt a familiar stinging pricking at the back of his eyes, a stinging he refused to succumb to.
He looked over as the all too familiar gruff voice of one of his usual tormenters boomed over at him.
“Oy!” The stocky form of a dwarf of about nine years of age lumbered toward them, apparently oblivious of the older dracon. “Brownie!”
Anger, hatred, and fear made the halfling’s eyes widen. He glanced between Arjun and the dwarf, then turned on his heels and sprinted down the hall, leaving the young dwarf scowling after him.

* * *

The three elven girls walked together, as they always did, until their separate classrooms forced Kia to take a different hall, Laura and Jorn following after the other two. She walked confidently into the room for a twelve-year-old, her head held high and eternally mischievous gaze taking in the classroom and the half-filled cushions on the floor.
She chose a spot near the center beside a female halfling who had her nose in a book as Nick and Aurelian entered the same classroom a couple moments later and took their own seats.
“Whatever you’re up to, Kia,” the halfling girl said without looking up from her book, “don’t do it.”
Kia gave the girl a dramatically wounded look. “Why ever would you think I’m up to something, Ella?”
Ella glanced to Kia without moving her head. “You have that look. Besides, when aren’t you up to something?”
“Please. I’d never.” She grinned, then laid down on her stomach, using the cushion as a pillow instead of a seat.
“And I’m a three-eyed toad.” Ella rolled her eyes, then looked back to her book as Kia closed her eyes and started to hum.

Mystic Orphanage (Aristocles and Siaya Dragalorn)

Awesome. So, how does 5-7, 8-10, 11-13, 14-16, and 17-18 sound, then, with a couple actual classrooms for each range to keep a good teacher:student ratio? If going that route, do you want Aurelian to be in the same classroom as Nick?

Mystic Orphanage (Aristocles and Siaya Dragalorn)

@Aristocles
Sorry, my weekend (and Monday) didn't quite go according to plan. Heh.

So, I just about have my reply written up, but was wondering what age groups were put together for the classes. By single year, like in the American school system usually with few differences in age, or larger groups/ranges, like 5-7 year olds, 8-10 year olds, etc.?

They Live Among Us (Vampiricchild x Siaya)

Victoria walked slightly behind Alex. She inhaled the fresh, crisp scent of the rain as a few droplets slid down her scalp. She reached back and messed with her hair, trying to dispel the unnerving tingling sensation the water left in its wake.
The rain slowly began to let up as they neared the school. She was torn between relief and disappointment at being capable of getting out of the rain. As tired as she was of her wet clothes, it meant her evening out with Alex would soon come to a close.
Sooner than she would have liked, they reached the back of one of the girl’s dorm buildings.
“This is it, I think.” She dug her keycard out of her purse. She went up to the door where a pad waited on the brick wall, a little red light shining at its top. She quickly swiped her card over it, and the light turned green as a metallic click sounded in the door. Victoria opened the door, looked back at Alex, and smiled thankfully. “Thanks for showing me around. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Northwood Academy

@Kirah
Hope that shift went well! That's awesome you got that opportunity. Did you throw any hints about a raise his way? XD

The Collector (2) [Closed]

@shi12
Oh my gosh! Are you okay?

Of Men and Elves (Siaya-Dragalorn x AutumnFrost)

Without turning his head, Ryathane glanced sideways at the emotion in Aeylisia’s voice when she mentioned the children who had fallen against the other manticore. An emotion he had not expected to hear from her kind.
Guess they do have hearts, he thought, surprise flashing through his eyes.
Ryathane gave a single, snorted chuckle at Aeylisia’s comment about his so-called camp.
“Well, sorry to disappoint.” He smirked, then raised his eyebrows as she continued. “And, you know, it’s not like your leg looks like it’s about to fall off or anything.” He shifted to help Aeylisia lower herself down in what little way he could. He got the feeling she was a bit less likely to try to attack him anytime soon, but that was never reason enough to drop one’s guard.
With her situated, he flicked his head to the side to force his bangs out of his eyes, and turned toward the tree. “I’ll be back.” He leisurely jogged the last few feet to the proud tree. Without stopping, he jumped up to the lowest branches, and nimbly climbed into the thick foliage, the texture of the bark familiar beneath his gloves.
He pulled himself up onto the high branch he had used earlier. His pack still hung on one of the branches. He shifted over to another branch, the leaves ruffling slightly at his weight change, and reached over to a dark lump: the burlap sack he had used to transport his traps.
Careful to not be seen, he pushed aside a leave-covered branch and looked through the foliage to the elf, checking that she was still there and not a figment of his imagination waiting to vanish the moment he looked away.
Finding a good spot, he let the sack drop. It caught on a branch for a moment, then fell to the ground near the base of the tree. He quickly shouldered his pack, then climbed a safe distance down before letting himself drop. He landed cat-like, then quickly straightened and turned back to the elf.
He sauntered toward Aeylisia. He let the strap of his pack fall into the crook of his elbow just above the end of his metal bracer.
“Right.” He stopped beside Aeylisia and let the pack fall to the ground. He knelt beside it and flipped the top of the pack up, casting the elf a wary glance every couple seconds just in case. “Let’s get you patched up.” He reached inside and pulled out a fair-sized wooden box. He sat it on the ground and opened it, revealing a couple bottles and a wad of bandages taking up a good portion of the inside.
He pulled a larger bottle and the bandages out, revealing a set of sewing needles and string beneath. He handed the supplies to the elf. “Need me to get it, or can you do it?”

The Collector (2) [Closed]

Which, of course, is the hard part! XD