arts magical

[occluminous]

Bella has been living in the dorms for two days when the term properly starts. The buses begin arriving and discharging the students who didn't need to arrive early just in time for them to join the early attendees for lunch. Bella is sitting at a half-full table, reading her Charms textbook and prodding at one of her notebooks with the hazel wand. The vine one is still in her hair; she uses it for most things (to the extent that there is a 'most things', but she's getting a jump on her assignments) but she's giving the hazel a try for this particular charm. It's supposed to make the notebook refuse to open for anyone but her. Poke. Poke. "Claudo!"

Her notebook snaps itself shut abruptly. She opens the cover, closes it, passes it to the girl on her right and gets her to try, observes that it does not open. She puts the hazel wand back in her sleeve.

Comments

[sparksflying]

"They're a lot rarer than humans, but not that rare," says Tony. "A lot of the old pureblood families have a few around, and some big institutions like schools or the wizard rail."

[occluminous]

"So there might be some here," says Bella.

[sparksflying]

"Probably," says Tony. "If food appears in front of you at meals, that's elves."

[occluminous]

"...Yeah, it does. I should meet some elves and find out if they're okay and if they need help and if they need help I'll learn how to help them," says Bella, writing this down in her notebook too.

[sparksflying]

"Good luck," says Tony.

[occluminous]

"Thanks! D'you want to help, if I find something that needs doing?"

[sparksflying]

"...I guess? I mean, I don't really know how. Or even what I'd be helping with."

[occluminous]

"Well, me either, that's why I'm going to find out," says Bella.

[sparksflying]

"Okay. So if you come up with something I actually can help with, and there's no good reason not to, I will."

[occluminous]

"Cool!" says Bella. "What about you?" she adds to Sherlock.

[nobodyelse]

"Oh, as Tony, of course."

[occluminous]

"Awesome," Bella grins. "Tony, you done eating? I can show you where we live."

[sparksflying]

"Sure!"

[occluminous]

Through the halls they go! "Our hall is called Analisa Hall," Bella says. "Which one is Sherlock in? Maybe he's close by."

[sparksflying]

"I forget," laughs Tony.

[occluminous]

"Oh well. Here we are."

The door has construction paper stuck to it with magic, and the construction paper is markered up with: ANTOINETTE STARK, ISABELLA SWAN.

[sparksflying]

"Aw, man," says Tony. "I almost wanna fix it, but that would probably be like, vandalism."

She compromises, and sticks up a post-it over 'Antoinette' that says TONY.

[occluminous]

Bella laughs and opens the door. They don't have keys, just wand attunements; she has to tap the handle first, though no spellcasting is involved. Her vine wand and not her hazel one will open this door. She supposes she'll be in trouble if something happens to the vine.

Euterpe greets them with a trill.

[sparksflying]

Tony immediately opens the window, but no eagle swoops in to greet her. She shrugs.

[occluminous]

"The little info sheet I got with Euterpe says she should be able to find me even if I go someplace and don't tell her," says Bella. "Are eagles the same?"

[sparksflying]

"Yeah," says Tony. "Nike's kind of in and out - she sleeps on her perch maybe two nights in three. But she always finds me when she wants to."

[occluminous]

"When did you get her?"

[sparksflying]

"Two weeks ago?" she hazards. "Ish?"

[occluminous]

"Say, if you live in New York, how come you're going to school here? I got the idea it was geographical. My letters said because of dual residence I could pick between here and Texarcana. I picked here because I didn't have much to go on but it sounded more my speed."

[sparksflying]

"Yeah, that's a... yeah," says Tony. "It's complicated. But the short answer is my mom's rich and she wants us to go here so we do."