NVAE, MAIN QUAD (Dennis, Lex, Otso; NPCs: Beatrice, Kirstie, Steven)
“How’s about Violet?” she asked, reading a text from her.
“Violet?” Hands stuffed in his jacket’s pockets, Lex danced out of the path of Steven’s next wild blow. “I guess. I mean, well, I dunno. Do you think hypothermia would be an issue?”
Rather than compose a text, she opted to call her countryman instead.
“Hang on a sec,” Violet said upon answering, “Lex’s parents have gone barmy.”
“So has his brother!” Kirstie exclaimed—a tinge of happiness to her tone. “Lex!” she shouted as she pulled the phone from her face. “Violet says your mum and dad have gone crazy too!” Putting the phone back to her face, Violet opted to explain: “Steven thinks he’s in love with me and is presently failing at trying to murder my boyfriend. What’s going on with Mister and Missus Murphy?”
The scene was enough to give pause to those passing through. “What’s going on?” asked Otso.
“Eh, usual,” Lex said as he continued to dodge his brother’s blows. “Someone put a whammy on Steven, and now he thinks he loves Kirstie so obviously I need to die. And before you ask, no, I have no idea who or how.”
Dennis said not a word, but continued towards the main building.
Otso looked from Lex casually dodging his brother’s wild swings to Kirstie, who was on the phone. “Uh… okay? We’re going to see the headmaster. You want me to pass along the word or something?”
Lex made a face. “Yeah, probably. I mean, he started off obsessed, then irrational, and now he’s trying to kill me because I’m—and I quote—taking Kirstie away from him. Honestly, this is kind of funny, ‘cause Steven ain’t much of a threat, but if this nonsense is happening to somebody like Jack or Martin, we’re going to be in deep $#!+, ya know?”
Otso furrowed his brow. From what Kirstie had said, Lex’s parents were behaving similarly. On one hand, it may have been only effecting Lex’s family; on the other, whatever was happening may have been spreading across the school. Following his encounter with Durendal, Otso had placed himself in quarantine once before, out of fear what would happen if he lost control—what if this effected him? What if he became irrationally obsessed with someone and tried to kill someone to win them?
Trying to put such thoughts out of his head, he gave Lex a nod. “I’ll pass on the word—make sure no one else’s effected.”
NVAE, BOYS’ DORM (Jack; NPCs: J.R.)
“Doesn’t mean the two here aren’t similar to your parents. I’ve met folks who were pretty damn close to their counterparts I knew. All I’m saying is that it couldn’t hurt to talk to them and see, maybe you’ll be surprised.”
J.R. shook his head. “Dad seems content to train with me, but any time I try to get to know him as a person, he brushes it off. Mom, I don’t know. It doesn’t seem like she’s comfortable with me being around. You didn’t see how she looked at me when I picked you both up at the airport.”
NVAE, GIRLS’ DORM (Martin; NPCs: Tatjana)
“Any suggestions on ‘ow we approach zis?”
Tatjana made a face. “Zos mages aren’t ze only ones who kuld hav taught her…” Her heavy chest heaved as she sighed mournfully. “Vhen ze meds weren’t helping me, Talemaja used her magic to make me more stable. She vas here, Martin. Here at ze skhool for so long, und she told me she was helping several students wiz zat spel. I don’t know who, but… I kan imagine most of us vould benefit from a magical spel zat alters ur minds. Gaspar might have vanted to forget about vhat he did on Laputa.” Martin knew what she was talking about: Gaspar had kiled Lexus’ mother to save Tatjana’s life. “Lexus vas in murning, Jay’s sister was a psychopath, Lex und Mira had lost Alina… Mat tried to shoot up the skhool, und I stil don’t believe zat vas Lacuna’s doing…
“My point is, vhat makes you zink zis vas zat grup from last year und not ze ozer magical enemy ve have? How do ve know Beatrice isn’t vorking viz Talemaja?”
It’s always bugged me that some of the other students don’t have an accent. I’m trying something new with Tatjana. Bare with me.
NVAE, CAFETERIA (Tamati; NPCs: Robyn, Shelby)
“You are not a typical student here, are you?”
Robyn shook her head. “I’m actually the shadow of a millennia-old wizard who was imbued by magic, spent a century on an island that isn’t on any map, and am now acting as an intermediary between a different wizard and a Frenchman. Clearly.”
Shelby rolled her eyes. “It was a simple question. You don’t have to be rude about it.”
NVAE, MAIN OFFICE (Dennis and Violet; NPCs: Dwight Kowalski, Lillian Murphy, Roger Murphy, Isaac Newton)
“Hang on a sec. Lex’s parents have gone barmy.”
“So has his brother!” Kirstie exclaimed—a tinge of happiness to her tone. “Lex!” Her voice sounded distant—like she’d had the foresight to pull the phone away before screaming to the American. “Violet says your mum and dad have gone crazy too!” Putting the phone back to her face, Violet opted to explain: “Steven thinks he’s in love with me and is presently failing at trying to murder my boyfriend. What’s going on with Mister and Missus Murphy?”
Violet sent a blast of artic pressure for Roger’s feet and watched as ice began to build around his legs—anchoring him to the spot and removing the threat the big man posed to the non-combatants present.
The door opened and Dennis slipped in. The illusionist took in the sight before him: Violet and Newton were outside his door; the P.E. teacher was encased in ice; the school secretary was scratching at the door; there was a man Dennis didn’t know laying sprawled out further down the hall. “Mister Schausteller,” Newton said, relieved to see reinforcements, “if you could fetch Doctor Bacon for us, I believe Mister Kowalski could benefit from his talents.”
Love Potion Victims
- Roger Murphy > Stephanie Yavorshak
- Lilian Murphy > Isaac Newton
- Steven Murphy > Kirstie Arnett
- Royce Brown > Patrick Brown