Unbecoming

[Elisora Rivaen]

Bethas 15th, 2711

Elisora Rivaen had always been invisible.

The girl mostly kept to herself, never really having a particular group of friends besides her roommates. Nearly all of her free time was spent in the library, flipping through countless of magic tomes as her mind drank all of them in. She only answered a few questions during class even though she knew the answer to them all, just enough so that the teachers won’t mark her as lazy. The girl even blended in physically with her redhead and pale skin. Her face was pretty enough to gain some attention, but boys usually lose their interest swiftly because of her habit to be reserved. Still, Elise was polite and kind and respectful, the picture perfect galdor.

Elisora Rivaen had always been invisible. Until yesterday.

One of her classmates, Freya, had decided to corner during break with a group of her friends. They were insisting that Elise fight her in a duel. They wouldn’t leave her alone until she agreed. It was a common practice here in Brunnhold. Students challenging another that he or she deemed weaker to show off their prowess. Freya spent the whole time as they walked to the Lawn boasting on how easy it would be do defeat her. While she kept silent, Elise felt herself slowly fuming at the insults. Once at the Lawn, students gathered formed a loose ring around them, eager to watch a display of magic – or maybe just watch someone get beaten down. From the way they cheered for Freya, it seemed like they had no doubt that she would win.

Unsurprising, the blonde-haired girl decided to attack first. Elise did not see it, but the other was already throwing a rock at her. The Physical magic she wielded sped up its momentum and by the time it connected with the Elise's forehead, the force was enough to make her stumble - but not enough to make her pause in her casting.

Freya never got the chance to even begin a second spell by the time Elise finished hers. As the last part of her spell was uttered, the other girl lost all the power to stand as the magic cut off all the signals that should be innervating her limbs. It was brief, but more than enough to cause to topple onto the ground. Before Freya could even understand what was truly going on, Elise was already muttering another spell. With the help of mona, the girl forced her opponent’s brain to be flooded that would induce sleep.

Just like that, Freya fell unconscious. Everyone stood in shock, staring at her with wide eyes and open mouth. She would be lying if she said she didn’t feel the slightest bit triumphant. The other students let her walk away in silence and Elise kept her a mask of cool. It was only when she was out of everyone’s sight that she ran to the restroom and vomited all of her lunch.

And today, she was told to find Professor Hulle after classes were over. It couldn’t be a coincidence, right? Did someone reported her? But for what? She had won the duel fair and square. Even if her mind knew there was probably nothing to be scared about, her fingers wouldn’t stop tugging at each other as she gazed upon the large wooden door that would lead into the professor’s office.

There was little use in delaying the inevitable, so Elise simply took a deep breath and knocked at the door. The sound was awfully loud in the empty corridor and she couldn’t help but wince. A voice behind the door seemed to be telling her to enter, so the girl stepped in carefully.

Her eyes widened ever so slightly as she took in the room she was in. Tall shelves filled with books of all sizes lined the walls, tall windows filtered the sunlight and gave the room an airy feel. The place reminded her of her father’s study, something she had missed acutely. A heavy wooden desk sat at the center of it all, surrounded by worn armchairs.

Sitting behind it was Professor Hulle, smiling at her kindly. Elise knew that the man was a powerful practitioner of Living magic, yet with his white hair and white beard he almost looked like another harmless old man. Then her eyes wandered to the older boy on the other side of the desk as she walked toward them. She knew who it was. The face belonged to Daalton Gilardioni, a senior well-known even by the students of her grade. More than a few of her friends fawned over him. Elise never get their obsession for the upperclassman, but now that she was standing this close to him… She might just understood why.

She didn’t even realize she was staring until the boy turned to look at her, those blue eyes piercing her.

When she felt the heat rise to her cheeks, Elise looked away to glance at the professor and ducked her head the slightest bit. She felt like she was just caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to. Without thinking, the girl ran her fingers through her red hair nervously. “Professor Hulle, I am Elisora Rivaen, Fifth Form. You were looking for me?”

[Daalton Gilardioni]

Bethas 15, 2711

---

If I wanted to shelf books all day, I'd be a clocking librarian, Daalton thought, eyes rolling hard in his head as Professor Hulle went on prattling about the veinous cadaver on his table elsewhere. Though in his office, the "mad professor" had left what little of his mind remained in the mortuary, sitting over the open and exhumed carcass of a human who had been suffocated in his sleep, then cut open and stuffed with a goose down pillow. It was fascinating from a psychological standpoint, but from an anatomical one, it was quite ordinary. There isn't a lot of mystery in how the pillow got there, not with the thin and exact cuts just above the belt line on the man. Daalton did not care one bit about some psychopath's broken mind... He cared about the body...

And the strange blood disease it carried. So he tolerated Professor Hulle's chatter, sometimes raging off on a tangent about how this muscle was severed so cleanly, or how it reminded him of his time as a graduate assistant flaying leprosy off cadavers on the Mugrobi frontier. But it was when he was speaking about the strange coagulation of the man's blood, the syrupy consistency that carried too much natural sugar and caused a viscosity similar to honey... But none of the sweetness, the professor had assured him. Daalton nearly shuddered when he'd said it; he was open to doing just about anything for progress, but ingesting the blood of a human was crossing a line the galdor would never do. Science would be long forgotten before he'd taste inferiority, however sweet it may be.

With his back to the door, Daalton jumped slightly at the knock. Annoyance flashed across his face, though the professor couldn't see it. He did feel the flex of Daalton's field however, and he gave quite the hearty chuckle as he shuffled some of his more sensitive research under some banal seventh form essays on his desk. Straightening it slightly, though it made no real difference to the entropy that had enveloped the desk, he patted down his wrinkled suit and called to the door.

"Enter, if you'd please," came the words, gentle but loudly enough for her to hear through the door. Daalton didn't turn around as it swung open, though the changing pressure in the room did indicate that the mouse on the other side of the door had actually mustered the courage. Sighing as the rush of air ruffled the pages of the books he was straightening, Daalton just shook his head and went back to work. The professor's business with the fifth form girl was not his, nor did he care enough about her woes to find interest in them. Unless the professor were going to cane her, Daalton's attention would be wiser spent shelving so that he could get out of the claustrophobic and warm office, and back into the cold solitude of the morgue.

"Miss Rivaen, welcome, welcome. May I get you anything? Tea, water, tonic?" The professor offered, pouring himself a dark coffee from the press on his desk. The bitter earthiness filled the room, and he dropped one cube of sugar into the porcelain cup before reciting a quick monite phrase to dissolve and disperse the sugar through the coffee. A smile split his face, and at the tinkling of the coffee, Daalton managed a glance backwards. Cold blue eyes locked with the girl's, and he saw the heat brighten her cheeks. He considered going back to his filing, but the awe evident in her features finally caught his attention. It was intriguing. Of course she should know of him, and with her standing there, gawking, he basked in it.

"Miss Rivaen, this is my assistant, Daalton Gilardioni. Daalton assists me in the morgue, and has expressed interest in pursuing further studies in teaching, both mundane and magical. After having received word of your duel with Freya Sigmundsson, along with a few strongly worded requests that I teach my students more restraint, I thought the two of you ought to get to know one another. Daalton is rather gifted, and his growing mastery of Living Conversation is nothing to scoff at. Daalton?" The professor indicated, and the seventh form stepped forward. He was bold, brazen, and she could feel the confidence in his field.

"A pleasure, Miss Rivaen. I was not informed of this arrangement, but I am sure that you and I will... get on famously," he said, a shark's smile coming to his lips. From this angle, he could see that some may find her pretty... She had some favourable qualities, that was for sure.

Not the least of which was her impeccable taste, as evidenced by the fiery blush in her cheeks.

[Elisora Rivaen]

Bethas 15th, 2711

“Uhm… There’s no need, professor. I am truly not thirsty,” she replied politely. Her eyes wandered to the mess of papers and books scattered across his desk. Elise’s interest spiked when she caught sight of a particularly detailed drawing of the muscles of the abdominal wall. Professor Hulle had always been known as one of the frontrunners in Living magic along with biology. It made her wonder what he was working on these days.

The redheaded girl was still expecting the teacher to start talking about detention, but instead the professor started introducing Daalton to her, mentioning his affinity in Living magic face as the professor’s assistant walked towards her.

Elise slowly lifted her head to meet the young man’s eyes once again. His eyes were startlingly blue, easily his most notable feature – a complete opposite to her darker orbs. Daalton smiled at her, but it wasn’t a friendly or welcoming smile. No, it seemed sharp-edged with amusement. He probably found it comical that she was blushing so hard. Not for the first time in her life, Elise cursed her mother’s Gioran blood that had bestowed onto her all the clear, pale skin. The perfect canvas to show off all the warm blood rushing to her.

This was not the first time Elise lost her voice – but this was easily the most embarrassing occasion. She couldn’t remember the last time she had ever been this flustered. Somehow standing in front of an older boy with a sharp smile was worse than presenting in class full of judgmental galdori students.

Fortunately, her voice decided not to betray her after all, albeit a bit late. Perhaps it was all that etiquette training that was kicking in. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Mister Gilardioni. I’m sure we will.”

She could feel his field greeting her. Her first instinct was to back off as his confidence was like a pulsing, palpable thing around him. The fifth form’s student own field was smaller, weaker. Still, Elise kept her composure as best as she could and made sure that her field didn’t betray any of her feelings. Sort of. Her face probably already told him everything anyway.

Pressing her rosy lips together, Elise turned away from Daalton. She found it easier to not look at him. She had no interest of making a fool of herself in front of a well-respected professor. Besides, she still wasn’t sure what she was doing here. “I’m sorry, professor, but I’m afraid I’m still not clear on things… Am I not in trouble then?”

The old professor chuckled. “No, not at all. From what I heard Miss Sigmundsson challenged you and you had won beautifully, fair and square. They say you were rather impressive, demonstrating finesse that was well beyond your age. You certainly have a raw talent for Living magic, Miss Rivaen. Some of the other professors had also been saying good things about your particular interest in biology and medicine. Have you considered choosing Living magic as your focus?”

“I have been considering it, since I do find the human anatomy and physiology fascinating,” Elise answered mildly. Biology had come more easily to her, compared to physics and mathematics. Her mind had an easier time grasping the principles of muscle movements compared to the calculations of gravitational pulls. “But I am still keeping my options open.”

“Have you ever heard of Ararad Stegnd?” the professor asked abruptly, taking another sip of his coffee.

She wondered if this was some sort of trick question. Elise nodded carefully. “Yes, I have. He studied blood most of his life. He compiled his case studies and deduction regarding how the blood carries cells that would provide our body with the ability to fight off sickness and diseases.”

Professor Hulle clearly looked pleased. “Ah, you know your sources. Not many fifth form would be able to discern his theories. Still, knowledge needs to be honed at all times, challenged to its limits. I’m guessing that your daily class hadn’t provide many challenges. I am guessing that you have read a lot of books, but I can assure you that would not be enough. You’ll need a tutor, someone to guide you and accompany through your search for knowledge.” He nodded toward the blue-eyed student next to her. “Daalton here, as I said, is particularly skilled and I believe he could provide you with the knowledge your classes couldn’t. What do you say, Miss Rivaen? Would you be interested in such an arrangement?”

“Uh… I…” Slowly, Elise turned to look at the older student, gauging for his reaction. He had mentioned that he was not informed of the arrangement. She was practically dropped in front of him and now the professor that Daalton should assist her. He couldn’t be terribly pleased at all this. By the goddess, at times like this she wished she had paid more attention to the rumor mill of Brunnhold. She knew her fellow students talked about him, but besides his apparent charm Elise had no idea why his name might circulate around the school.

Her heart raced as she waited, expecting a show of displeasure yet at the same time hoping that it didn’t happen.

[Daalton Gilardioni]

Bethas 15, 2711

---

Daalton's eyes watched as Elisora spoke, noted the gentle curvature of her lips. As an anatomist and a geneticist, he appreciated her beauty on a level few could. But it was how she flustered, even when she knew the answer or was confident in her knowledge, that Daalton found most attractive. Galdori as a people were often never ashamed, instead believing themselves right even in the face of immediate evidence to the contrary. Daalton himself was certainly guilty of that, a time or two. As he watched, though, the young Fifth Hulle with her knowledge, and Daalton with her approach.

He would love to take her under his wing.

"Ararad Stegnd is one of the few whose works are being used in the search for the cure for the disease in Mugroba. Those with extensive knowledge of his theorems and practices would be most helpful, Miss Rivaen," Daalton said, his voice the soft velvet of a pillow used to smother a loved one. The words cut to her directly, as if she were the only one in the room with him. He smiled, a slight thing, just enough to draw her in. Walking around the desk, Daalton passed by Professor Hulle without giving him a second glance, still entranced with Elisora.

"You should take Living as your focus, Miss Rivaen. There is so much one can do with the galdori body... Many places of pleasure that have yet to be unexplored," he murmured softly. He was close enough now that only Elisora could hear him, and he smelled of iron and libraries. The smile remained, but there was a glint in his eye.

"Professor Hulle is one of the most educated and intellectual men on the campus," Daalton declared, loudly enough for the old oaf to hear, "and you would be in fine hands should you choose to make Living your focus." He turned and offered a respectful nod to Professor Hulle, who beamed.

"As for me, I would love to help guide you through the choice. Currently, I am in interested in the contemporary sources for the epidemic in Mugroba, and if you'd like to meet me for coffee, we can discuss how Living Conversation can be used to save lives," he said, once again the gentleman with the glint in his eyes. "Among other things."

He smirked and turned, looking at the clock with incredulity. The time was growing later than he anticipated, and he had things he wanted to get done that day. If he wanted to get anything done, he needed to be on his way.

"Actually, professor, I have to be going for the day. If you'd like, I can take Miss Rivaen for that coffee now, and maybe by this time tomorrow, she'll be in here assigning her focus?" Daalton asked, exuding confidence. It was infectious, and Hulle grinned broadly, intelligent eyes shining at Daalton's insistence to take the girl to coffee. He was young once, as well.

"Of course, Daalton. I'll see you tomorrow. Miss Rivaen, please allow Daalton to escort you out," the old professor said, beginning to straighten the things on his desk. Daalton turned to Elisora with a disarming smile.

"If you aren't busy this evening?" He asked, eyebrows raised ever-so-slightly.