<div class="floatright">(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQbgyjauXhO1CEQQmnGiDe8O0jXLFBLToZgKysWmzMC_63iTaLkxPcPie5lUa77LKvxDJc&amp;usqp=CAU)</div><br/><strong>MERRIWEATHER'S OFFICE</strong><br/><br/><br/>The younger, shorter redhead’s gaze paused here and there, tilting her head this way and that as she looked at the charts, usually the most colorful, that most caught her attention. When the professor smiled like that, so radiant even someone as inherently twitchy as Alundra couldn’t help but relax a little. Not a lot, never all the way. Never that level of trust. If you let anyone in too far, that was where they could do the most damage. But it was true her first impression was that Merriweather just wasn’t a bad person. Interesting. And the teacher had an interesting viewpoint on things. Her head nodded slowly in agreement, knowing at least one student who was planning on going above and beyond to learn. Occasionally her older women issues could be put to productive use, so why not?<br/><br/><br/>In her opinion, the email had sounded like being able to already cast was a good thing, but at least that particular concern, that specific lack was soothed. The clarification was a much needed reassurance that she likely wasn’t hugely behind par. And of course, people having the ability to apologize was always a good sign. No kind of worse monster than one that unquestionably believed they were right, and thus any extreme they went to was just and inherently good. The whole time Merriweather had been speaking, Alundra was sitting quietly, utterly attentive. Her reasons for being that way, that contained and still, weren’t good ones, but well, silver linings. The talk about the school, well, that was a harder decision. That one required very careful thought about how to handle. The professor was accurate, but had no idea of all the reasons. What was too far, what was getting information vs showing weakeness? “I don’t know much about the supernatural.” She said measuredly, gaze drifting to the window. The teacher was unlikely to attack, and well…. If that did happen, there wasn’t much to be done about it, right? Like a toddler wrestling a grizzly bear. Not the ideal situation, but one she’d survived before. Not… literally the bear, just the power differential. Even her life wasn’t weird enough to include bears. Hadn’t been, perhaps.<br/><br/><br/>“I’ve read some books, but who knows how accurate they are?” A shrug, soft sigh escaping. “Do… vampires have to take night classes?” A question only made dumb by lack of experience. They seemed populous enough to have a faction at school, a fang clique. “How…. Dangerous is all this?” The true question that needed to be answered. In the real world, the normal and predictable mortal world, it had quite surprisingly turned out that Alunda, little tormented thing, was herself incredibly dangerous. Probably not on the level of a werewolf or vampire, but humans didn’t like being on fire. The problem was, it made her a monster, and thus… surrounded by monsters. Shapeshifters and spells and gods knew what. All problematic, every last bit of it. Lucky, lucky professor, having people to look out for her. What a freaking luxury.<br/><br/><br/>At least the magic seemed interesting. Alunda already came equipped with the skill of looking towards a person, but not directly in their eyes. Most people didn’t notice the difference. Eye contact could set off predators. Miss Merriweather might be both confident and strong enough to risk sorcery and enspellment, but someone like Alundra was much more stealthy. “A different version of the same spell? How does that work? I know you said that different ingredients could be used, how much does that affect things?” A pause, for pondering. “How much variance can there be in a spell like that? You said one can flood a room…” At least she seemed interested in learning, that was always something she could do. Good teachers liked sharing knowledge, and appreciated attentive, thoughtful students. Sometimes learning meant safety. “Oh, and you mentioned magic words, right? How do you know what they are?”<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><hr/><hr/><br/>Fortunately for everybody involved, especially that damn meltyface liquid masquerading as a human, Alundra didn't her herself being referred to as mousy. Her pattern stayed true in the wordy 'Inter- and Intra-Community etc, class, snagging the furthest corner she could.<br/><br/>As for lunch, she planned to take whatever the cafeteria served outside, hopefully to sit by herself at the fountain. She liked the lonely tree, and the water's surprise inhabitant.<br/><br/>(https://www.infobae.com/new-resizer/PjVZeWfuMjZrsDXDwcx3wC5MoJk=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-infobae/public/3HO2JN5FJ5F7FJRMTM7ZPTHCPE.jpeg)