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Post by Aurelia "Aura" Valdez on Sept 8, 2010 20:40:43 GMT -5
Aura perched in one of the trees in the courtyard, her feet dangling off the branch. She was about five feet off the ground -- she knew because the branch was just barely above her eye level -- and if she wanted, she could climb even higher. She could even dart from branch to branch through the treetops, scurry up the side of the castle, and sit on the roof, if she took a mind to. (Not that she would, of course. Aura was feeling much to lazy for that.)
It never ceased to amaze Aura just how different it was here, compared to L.A. The Raccoon was thrilled about all the wide open spaces and trees and free food, not to mention being able to transform whenever she wanted.
But still, sometimes, Aura missed home. She was used to being cramped in their tiny house with her family -- her mother, her father, her siblings -- and though she would never admit it, it was almost lonely without all of them.
Aura shoved her hand in her pocket. She stopped for a moment and blinked, then pulled out a set very familiar looking keys from her pocket. Several handmade keychains dangled from the ring, far outnumbering the two keys -- a silver house key, and a tarnished-looking key that bore the Volkswagen symbol.
She slipped the keys back into her pocket and sighed. At least Jaymie would understand when she told him the voice in her head made her steal his keys. Other people, on the other hand... Well, let's just say the headmistress was very attached to that set of earrings.
Aura attempted, rather unsuccessfully, to glare at the thing in her head and communicate once and for all that no, she couldn't just take whatever the hell she wanted from whoever was nearby.
The Raccoon chirped merrily in response. If Aura didn't know better, she might think it was laughing at her.
Aura sighed. Fucking raccoon spirit.
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Post by Meriel "Dubhiarr" MacNamara on Sept 8, 2010 21:53:28 GMT -5
Dubhiarr wandered absently through the courtyard, wondering what to do with herself. It felt strange being bored at this time of year, but Professor Hawk had significantly eased the class workload these past few weeks in anticipation of his wedding, which a lot of students and teachers alike were involved in, and invited to attend. Everyone was so excited, it was like a contagious disease. A happy, sparkly plague.
Dubhiarr turned her head and smiled when she noticed someone sitting in the tree next to her, a girl she didn't recognize. She knew she would have remembered those ears. Huge, furry grey ears that stuck out from the girl's head, apparently instead of normal human ears. The effect was strange, but then again, strange was normal in this place. It was all a matter of perspective. Even despite the oddity, the girl was really cute.
"Hey there," Dubhiarr greeted her, looking down at her with a grin. "I don't think I've seen you around here before. Are you new?"
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Post by Aurelia "Aura" Valdez on Sept 8, 2010 23:08:02 GMT -5
Aura peeked around the tree at the other girl. Aura couldn't remember seeing the girl before. She was quite pretty -- and at least a foot taller than Aura, with dark purple hair. Not exactly the sort of person she would easily forget.
"Just came this semester." Aura smiled, swinging around in the tree to face the other girl. It would be nice to have someone to talk to other than Jaymie, if nothing else. "I haven't gotten the chance to meet many people here yet. I'm Aura."
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Post by Meriel "Dubhiarr" MacNamara on Sept 8, 2010 23:16:27 GMT -5
Dubhiarr grinned and held out her hand to the girl. "Nice to meet you, Aura. I'm known mostly as Dubhiarr. Friends call me Du. It's always good to meet new people."
Her eyes flicked upward to Aura's ears again for a moment. They were certainly attention-grabbing. "I'm guessing you're a shapeshifter of some kind?"
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Post by Aurelia "Aura" Valdez on Sept 9, 2010 0:49:51 GMT -5
"Ears gave me away, did they?" Aura grinned back at the girl, her ears perking slightly. She shook the other girl's hand. "I'm a raccoon shapeshifter. What about you?"
'Dubhiarr' didn't exactly sound like any name Aura had ever heard before, but it was quite pretty. She wondered what language it was.
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Post by Meriel "Dubhiarr" MacNamara on Sept 9, 2010 9:52:17 GMT -5
"I'm a mage," Dubhiarr answered. "My specialties are enchantments and some elemental stuff, mostly involving water, but recently I've been taking lessons in Necromancy as well.
"So where are you from, Aura?"
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Post by Aurelia "Aura" Valdez on Sept 9, 2010 12:46:50 GMT -5
"My specialties mostly lie in accidentally swiping things that don't belong to me." Aura smirked, and her left ear twitched slightly.
"I'm from Los Angeles, but my parents are Dominican. What about you?"
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Post by Meriel "Dubhiarr" MacNamara on Sept 9, 2010 14:12:30 GMT -5
Dubhiarr couldn't help but grin at the comment about stealing. She made a mental note not to wear anything particularly sparkly around this girl in the future, just in case. Good thing she hadn't seen fit to wear the necklace Steph had given her, ever since their breakup. She still wore the scarf, but that was mostly out of habit to hide the scars on her neck.
"I was born and raised in Scotland," she replied. "My whole family lives there. Most of us are mages, with varying specialties. Are there any other shapeshifters in your family?"
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Post by Aurelia "Aura" Valdez on Sept 9, 2010 15:19:32 GMT -5
"Not unless there's something they haven't told me," she replied. "I haven't told any of them about my powers yet. They think I got a scholarship to a boarding school in Sacramento."
Her smile fell slightly. "Mom's been talking about seeing if she can get my brother in here next year, though, so I'm not sure how much longer I can go without telling them. It must be nice, not having to worry about what your family will think of you."
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Post by Meriel "Dubhiarr" MacNamara on Sept 9, 2010 17:01:29 GMT -5
"Mmhmm," Dubhiarr nodded. "That would be no end of awkward. You should probably tell them sooner rather than later, I think. I feel lucky, being a mage who grew up around other mages. I was always told that there was a very good chance I'd get powers of my own, so it didn't really come as a shock when it happened. I'm hoping my little sister will enroll here next year, whether or not she Awakens before semester starts. It'll be good for her to learn about everything."
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Post by Aurelia "Aura" Valdez on Sept 9, 2010 21:32:38 GMT -5
"I know I should," she admitted. "but it's really hard to tell how they'll respond. I mean...they're my family. They're supposed to love me unconditionally. I'd like to think it wouldn't actually change anything between us. I don't want them to be afraid of me, or to think I'm some sort of freak."
Aura stared down at the ground, swinging her legs childishly in the air.
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Post by Meriel "Dubhiarr" MacNamara on Sept 10, 2010 13:33:11 GMT -5
Dubhiarr nodded. "That's understandable. But on the upside, at least you don't turn into anything really huge and dangerous, like a wolf or a jungle cat. And you clearly aren't a lycanthrope, so there's no chance of you spreading the disease by biting someone, even if you felt so inclined. Stealing stuff isn't so bad, by comparison."
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Post by Aurelia "Aura" Valdez on Sept 11, 2010 22:47:30 GMT -5
"I suppose," she admitted. "I guess I'll just deal with it when it comes. It's not like I'll have a chance until the end of the semester, anyway."
Aura smirked and looked back at the other girl. "But I think that's enough of my moping for one day. I'm bored--what is there to do around here?"
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Post by Meriel "Dubhiarr" MacNamara on Sept 11, 2010 23:04:46 GMT -5
"Depends on what you're into," Dubhiarr smiled. "There are a bunch of different clubs -- art, writing, various sporty things like martial arts and swordplay and archery. There's also the mess hall, where you can wander into anytime you're hungry and don't have class. Rhythan is always great for a laugh. Professor Hawk sometimes fences with him, and it gets hilarious." She grinned, remembering one such episode close to the beginning of the school year.
"Have you met Professor Hawk yet?" she asked. "You've probably heard him sing, he's always doing that. He's a great singer, one of the best. His daughter Ariel is really good, too -- I don't know if you've met her yet. I love just listening to them sing sometimes. That and Liam Farrell playing his harp and cello in the courtyard.
"Let's see, what else... there's the student lounge, lots of different games and stuff in there... The library, which you'll need to be careful in, because the librarian is an ogre... I can't think of anything else off the top of my head," she finished. "I can introduce you to some people, if you're looking for someone to talk to."
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Post by Aurelia "Aura" Valdez on Sept 12, 2010 16:21:45 GMT -5
"I actually don't think I've met Professor Hawk. I'm not in choir or anything like that. I wouldn't mind meeting him, though. I've heard a lot about him, and I've seen him around the school."
Aura thought for a moment, pursing her lips. "Well...what do you usually do for fun?"
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Post by Meriel "Dubhiarr" MacNamara on Sept 12, 2010 16:28:53 GMT -5
"I'm a singer and dancer," Dubhiarr told her. "When I'm not in class or doing that or homework, I like to hang out with my roommate and a bunch of our friends. Seele, Haneul, Jaebi, Ariel, Stephen... mm, not Stephen," she corrected herself with a small shake of her head. Not anymore.
"I also like to bug the Healer's nephew in my spare time," she added, her grin widening. "He can be a bit grating on your nerves, but he never means any real harm."
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Post by Aurelia "Aura" Valdez on Sept 12, 2010 16:36:19 GMT -5
"Oh, I know Jaebi." Aura smiled. "He's friends with my roommate, Kazari. I haven't talked to him all that much, but I've accidentally swiped plushie-Jae several times."
She chewed her lip for a moment, not entirely sure whether the next question was appropriate to ask, given how little she knew of the girl. "Who's Steven, if you don't me asking?" she asked, peering back at Dubhiarr.
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Post by Meriel "Dubhiarr" MacNamara on Sept 12, 2010 16:41:53 GMT -5
Dubhiarr's smile faltered, and her voice flattened. "One of the juniors in the University. Also my ex-boyfriend. We don't talk much anymore. It was just a few weeks ago that he broke up with me. I don't want to talk about it. I'm still getting over him, you know?"
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Post by Aurelia "Aura" Valdez on Sept 12, 2010 16:49:56 GMT -5
"Oh," Aura said, her voice soft. She smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry to hear that. But if it's any consolation, I'm sure when you're ready to move on, someone like you will have no trouble finding someone else. You seem like an amazing person."
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Post by Meriel "Dubhiarr" MacNamara on Sept 12, 2010 16:57:31 GMT -5
Dubhiarr smiled, rather flattered at this assessment. "Thanks. I hope so. It's just a matter of time."
"So," she said more brightly, changing the subject, "what about you? What do you do for fun, besides stealing shiny things?"
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Post by Aurelia "Aura" Valdez on Sept 12, 2010 21:31:05 GMT -5
"I've been known to cause mischief when bored. It's a bit of a curse, really." She grinned. "I've actually been rather good this semester, though. It's much harder to get away with things here than in L.A. I've mostly been keeping to myself, playing video games and such." Aura gave Dubhiarr a sly look. "You have no idea how many night I've went without sleep because Kazari and I started playing Soul Calibur."
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Post by Meriel "Dubhiarr" MacNamara on Sept 12, 2010 21:40:03 GMT -5
Dubhiarr laughed. "I can imagine. I hope you've been getting some sleep this semester. They say you can go insane from not sleeping enough. That'd certainly explain the behavior of some of the freshmen," she added, grinning. "They can be pretty strange."
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Post by Aurelia "Aura" Valdez on Sept 12, 2010 21:55:29 GMT -5
Aura giggled. "Oh, I'm sure," she replied.
Aura hummed softly to herself and hopped down off of the branch, landing lightly on her feet. "So, what do you feel like doing? Raiding the kitchen, harassing friends, torturing the librarian...?" Aura smirked.
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Post by Meriel "Dubhiarr" MacNamara on Sept 12, 2010 22:01:10 GMT -5
"Hmm..." Dubhiarr pondered this for a bit. "I'm not sure which of my friends are around to harass. Torturing the librarian is always a bad idea, unless you like pain and nightmares. Raiding the kitchen sounds like fun. We can play with Rhythan." She held out her hand to help Aura down from the tree. "Shall we?"
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Post by Aurelia "Aura" Valdez on Sept 12, 2010 22:17:46 GMT -5
Aura accepted Dubhiarr's hand graciously, her fingers lingering only a second longer than necessary.
"That sounds fun," she replied. "Let's go."
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