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Post by Natoli Joss on Jul 8, 2010 18:28:58 GMT -5
Natoli Joss entered the staff room after having dropped her luggage off at her office hoping to meet one of her new co-workers. Luckily she had managed to get to the school ahead of her little sister, Mellianne. She pushed her red hair (that also had a black streak where Mellianne had a blue streak) out of her eyes and straightened her green ranger-like clothing. "Hello, anyone in here?"
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Post by Tzu Mei on Jul 8, 2010 19:01:22 GMT -5
Tzu Mei was already in the staff lounge, sitting on the couch and casually sharpening his sword. He set down the whetstone when he heard Natoli enter the room. "Who's this?" he asked. He moved the blue blade back and forth so it gleamed in the light. "A new teacher?" If one didn't know better, one would think he was talking to the sword.
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Post by Natoli Joss on Jul 8, 2010 19:09:14 GMT -5
Natoli blinked at Tzu Mei. "Oh. Hello. I'm Natoli Joss. I'm the new Magical Creatures and Horseback Riding professor. It's a pleasure to meet you." She would not say anything about the talking to the blade she promised herself. Hopefully she would remember that later.
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Post by Tzu Mei on Jul 8, 2010 19:26:45 GMT -5
Tzu Mei finally turned his head to look at the new teacher, revealing amber eyes. He silently sheathed the sword and stood up. Holding out his hand he said, "I'm Tzu Mei. I teach Advanced Defensive Fighting. Joss. You wouldn't happen to be related to one of the students, would you? Mellianne Joss?"
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Post by Natoli Joss on Jul 8, 2010 19:32:05 GMT -5
Natoli was a little shocked. Had her little sister caused trouble to get her to be well know by teachers. From her sister's ramblings about her classes, she hadn't had Advanced Defensive Fighting the first semester. "Um, yes. Mellianne is one of my younger sisters."
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Post by Tzu Mei on Jul 8, 2010 19:42:23 GMT -5
After a bit of rummaging, the professor pulled a sheet of paper out of a nearly-invisible pocket. He held it up. "She's in my class this semester. I always try to remember the names of the students anyway; you wouldn't believe the stopping power of a well-timed bark of a last name." Since it didn't seem like his hand was going to be shaken any time soon, he let it drop by his side. "So, tell me about your class. I do not believe I have ever taken a class on Magical Creatures."
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Post by Natoli Joss on Jul 8, 2010 20:13:58 GMT -5
Natoli tapped her hand on her check, having noticed Tzu Mei's hand just as he dropped. She winced a little at that. "Oh, it does? I'll have remember that. Must be hard if you have twins or two students with the same last name I would imagine though." She grinned at the mention of her class. "Oh, I'll be going over different magical creatures, provide either pictures or when it's safe the real deal. The students will learn about the different kinds and how to deal with them if they run into one. Someday, what they learn could be useful depending on what they want to do."
((Sorry, didn't see the raised hand...))
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Post by Tzu Mei on Jul 9, 2010 0:36:51 GMT -5
Tzu Mei tried to smile warmly, but ended up with a grimace instead. "It's better, actually. Then you can get two students with one sharp bark. If I need one in particular, I can just add their first name as well." He was quickly finding that this being social business was harder than it sounded. He had to do it, however, in order to stave off another psychotic break. He did not need or want another flashback. "So, you can teach them how to survive an encounter with the dangerous ones. You wouldn't happen to know how to deal with als, would you?" ((Info about the al is here))
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Post by Natoli Joss on Jul 9, 2010 8:53:48 GMT -5
Natoli nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm. Then I will have to remember that. And practice saying the names of the students. I bet it doesn't do well when you mispronounce the name. And for als? Hmm. You need iron, garlic, and onions. Supposedly prayers and charms help. Keeping them away from water helps as well. However, with new technology, most say that als do not exist while I take the view point that while most times the deaths aren't als, that at least .2% are."
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Post by Dr. Kamala Lakshmi on Jul 9, 2010 9:47:18 GMT -5
A 1987 Toyota Corolla rolled into the school's parking lot and sat there for a moment before its occupant popped the door open and practically rolled out. "GPS off," she said groggily, kicking a stray Burger King wrapper off of her foot and reaching into the car for her thermos full of coffee. The GPS obediently powered down. "And go to sleep, you Japanese gas-guzzler," she said, thumping it affectionately on the hood.
"Actually, my fuel efficiency rating has been substantially improved and still remains high over the cars on the market today," it said in a voice like Paul Bettany.
"Yeah, yeah, I should know, I did that. Now go to sleep, would you? You've earned it."
"Yes, ma'am." The car powered down.
"I should never have installed a sarcasm subroutine in that thing," she muttered to herself in the manner of every scientist who's spent far too much time alone. "'Oh, it'll be a good idea, Kami, you can have conversations with your car, you'll never get bored on road trips, oh no...' What was I thinking..."
She continued chunnering on in this vein until she made it to the staff lounge. She took a final sip of her coffee - too old - and entered the room.
"'Lo! What's up?" Dr. Kamala Lakshmi said, shutting the door behind her.
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Post by Natoli Joss on Jul 9, 2010 10:03:00 GMT -5
Natoli turned to the arrival. "Hello. We were just talking about how to fend against a magical creature. I am Natoli Joss, the Magical Creatures and Horseback Riding professor." Hopefully she wouldn't get any of her co-workers upset at her here, not that she planned on doing anything to upset them.
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Post by Tzu Mei on Jul 9, 2010 12:18:18 GMT -5
Tzu Mei turned his head to glance at the new arrival. He had been able to hear her chattering through the door, and was already annoyed; he liked quiet people, not noisy ones. Still, he gritted his teeth and held out a hand for her to shake. "I am Professor Tzu Mei," he said in a somewhat wooden tone. "I teach Advanced Defensive Fighting. You?" He had a sneaking feeling that his attempts at being social were not working very well.
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Post by William Jason Fredericks on Jul 9, 2010 18:16:50 GMT -5
There was a clank outside the window, followed by the heavy thump of boots, and the slowly approaching sound of mumbling that announced the presence of groundsman Fredericks outside on his ladder. He peered into the flowerboxes and grimaced. He peered through the window into the teachers lounge and scowled, picking up the last bit of the al conversation.
"Fah, onions...might work I s'pose...dragon's blood always works...burdock t'aint bad....round 'here....carnations do in a pinch."
He hauled up his watering can and gave the flowerbox a good soaking.
He looked up as the Toyota pulled up to the building but paid it no particular mind until he saw the Burger King wrapper lying on the lawn next to the car.
"BLOODY 'ELL!" His voice cracked like thunder over the school grounds. To Tzu Mei or any of the other teachers from the fall semester it was the loudest they had ever heard Fredericks speak. He looked through the window. "You gonna go pick that up?"
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Post by Dr. Kamala Lakshmi on Jul 9, 2010 18:24:57 GMT -5
Dr. Lakshmi raised an eyebrow. "Magical creatures? Well, I guess you learn something new every day. " She shook Tzu Mei's offered hand. "Nice to meet you!" she said, grinning at him, and completely oblivious to his antisociality. "Dr. Kamala Lakshmi, new resident professor of Applied Robotics, Nanotechnology, and Biotechnology. So, how's the coffee 'round he--"
At the loud shout, she jumped about a foot in the air. "What?" she asked, wandering over towards the window, where the noise had originated. "Oh, hello."
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Post by Natoli Joss on Jul 9, 2010 18:32:11 GMT -5
Natoli nodded thoughtfully at Dr. Lakshmi's intro. "I wouldn't know about the coffee. I just arrived here myself."
At the shout, Natoli didn't jump, but she flinched slightly. She turned her attention to where the noise had come from and raised an eyebrow. She hadn't really noticed him showing up, though that might be because she wasn't expecting anyone to come up to the window from the outside on the second floor.
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Post by William Jason Fredericks on Jul 9, 2010 18:35:01 GMT -5
Fredericks threw open the window with a bang. "'ello yer bloody self! Are ye gonna go pick up yer trash or not?"
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Post by Dr. Kamala Lakshmi on Jul 9, 2010 18:38:49 GMT -5
Lakshmi frowned. "My trash...?" Then she saw a forlorn little yellow scrap fluttering around by her car. "My Whopper!"
The quickest way out would be through the window. Even with her enhanced legs, not a good idea. She opted for running out down the stairs instead, like a normal person.
The staff, if they so chose, could watch a scientist chasing after a windblown burger wrapper for the next few minutes.
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Post by William Jason Fredericks on Jul 9, 2010 18:44:54 GMT -5
Those still in the teacher's lounge noticed Fredericks twitching his fingers every time Dr. Laskhmi got close to the wrapper. When he did so a gust of wind seemed to come out of no where to push the wrapper beyond her reach.
"Bloomin' trash on my lawn...teach her to stay inside...."
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Post by Dr. Kamala Lakshmi on Jul 9, 2010 19:23:04 GMT -5
"Come baaaaack," she shouted at the wrapper out of habit. It struck her as rather funny that twenty years ago she wouldn't have been able to chase after this thing. She'd only be able to motor her electric wheelchair at about seven miles per hour.
After several minutes' chase, the mysterious brisk breezes died down and she was finally able to catch the thing. "Gotcha, you little wood-pulp-based troublemaker," she muttered, and threw the wrapper back into her car, making sure it stayed. The inside of her car looked like a fast food graveyard.
She figured that now was a good time to get her suitcase out of her trunk, so she did. The rest of her stuff would follow later.
And soon enough, she was back up the stairs, suitcase in tow. "Quite windy today, haha," she said, walking back into the staff lounge. "Anyone seen a FedEx truck around? They told me it'd be here today."
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Post by Portia Bianca Rosalind Cutty on Jul 9, 2010 20:37:23 GMT -5
"Not yet, I believe," a voice said, coming from behind Lakshmi.
The headmistress entered right behind her.
"Good afternoon, everyone." She looked around the lounge. "Dr Lakshmi and Miss Joss, I believe?" Portia smiled at them- it was a sincere one, and reached up to her eyes, which were sparkling with intelligence. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."
"I hope everyone is ready for the new semester?"
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Post by Natoli Joss on Jul 9, 2010 21:41:57 GMT -5
Natoli shook her head. "Sorry Dr. Lakshmi, I haven't seen a FedEx truck today." When the headmistress entered the room, she made a slight bow, a souvenir of her time studying Japanese magical creatures. "Good afternoon ma'am. It is a pleasure to meet you as well. I am as ready as I can be."
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Post by Aravind Shiyal on Jul 9, 2010 22:24:00 GMT -5
Aravind strode into the room, in shadowy gray, a carved wooden staff of about three feet in his right hand, and several feet of thin cord wrapped around the other. He paused on seeing the room full of people, and nodded to those he knew, smiling at Tzu Mei-- Crow's teeth, the man seemed to need it.
He moved past, though, to where Fredericks was, in the window. "Afternoon, Fredericks. Have you got a moment?"
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Post by William Jason Fredericks on Jul 9, 2010 22:58:57 GMT -5
Fredericks rolled his eyes. "Sure professor. You want to meet me at the base of the ladder or you want an old man to climb in the window?"
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Post by Dr. Kamala Lakshmi on Jul 9, 2010 23:30:26 GMT -5
"Ah, you'd be the headmistress, then!" Lakshmi said, smiling at Cutty. "We've exchanged some emails, yes, but it's lovely to finally meet you in person."
She frowned at the dual confirmation about the lack of FedEx. "Damn it, pardon my French. Ah well, shouldn't have expected better - the day the US government delivers something on time and without a considerable amount of paperwork, I'll be a platypus. Now, if it were a military project, I'd even have extra funding..."
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Post by Portia Bianca Rosalind Cutty on Jul 10, 2010 14:16:53 GMT -5
"Please, call me Portia," she said, with a laugh. "Not in front of the students, of course," she added.
"It's possible that it will arrive later today; the mail hasn't arrived yet either, so it's possible they'll both be late together. Hopefully it will be before the students arrive."
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Post by Natoli Joss on Jul 10, 2010 14:30:34 GMT -5
Natoli did another short bow. "Of course...Portia." It sounded a little odd after all the years of manners her parents had pushed on her, and then those two years in Japan, but she would manage. Hopefully. "Is the mail normally late?"
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Post by Portia Bianca Rosalind Cutty on Jul 10, 2010 16:47:24 GMT -5
"Occasionally," Portia admitted. She checked the small face of the wristwatch she always wore.
"I would think, if the FedEx truck arrives with your expected package," she said, to Lakshmi, "It will likely arrive within an hour, going off of the latest any of the deliveries get here from the town."
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Post by Aravind Shiyal on Jul 10, 2010 19:11:06 GMT -5
Unaware of the recent incident, or Fredericks' possible mood, Aravind quirked an eyebrow, perhaps a bit sarcastically. "Oh, to be sure, I'll come down," he said, deadpanning. "I wouldn't want to inconvenience a helpless old man such as yourself, Groundskeeper. I am well aware how old age taxes, and will, of course, make allowances for your the weaknesses of the elderly." You obstinate, twisted, bloody-minded old bastard, he added mentally, his face quite still.
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Post by William Jason Fredericks on Jul 10, 2010 20:37:57 GMT -5
Fredericks scowled.
"...smart arse..."
He climbed down the ladder.
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Post by Aravind Shiyal on Jul 10, 2010 20:49:01 GMT -5
Aravind raised the other eyebrow as Fredericks started down. The window was big enough... he pondered waiting for the groundskeeper to reach the ground, and then sliding down the ladder, but elected to not risk injury on the first day of the new semester, and turned to head down to the lawn the conventional way, instead. He paused to nod to Tzu Mei and Cutty on his way out the door.
"Afternoon, Headmistress-- if you'll excuse me," he said, slipping past her, out the door.
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