The Woodward Academy,

Chapter 4: September

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"Good morning, everyone," Prof. Qwellyn said to the class after she popped into place and grew to human size. The class greeted her in return. "This semester, we are going to be working with younger plants. In fact, you are going to learn how to take a lot of our herbs from seed to their first transplanting. I know this may seem a bit redundant, as you have each been through the Seedling Ceremony, but this will be much more difficult than that, as the Fairy King won't be helping us out.

"Now... oh, where are you... there you are. David, could you come up here please?"

David raised an eyebrow, but made his way to the front of the room. As he did so, Prof. Qwellyn continued to talk. "There's so much going on in this class, I need a helper. Because this fits with his apprenticeship, I'm choosing David. David, I'll be asking you to assist me with this and that, so why don't you sit over here."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, taking a seat at a side table, feeling just a bit awkward.

"Now, for our first plant, we are going to work with selga root. We'll be planting them in the next class, but let me tell you about them today."

As the professor spoke, David caught Gwen's eye. She raised her eyebrows at him, and then gave him a thumbs up, clearly teasing him. David rolled his eyes, and tried to return his attention back to the lesson at hand. He hoped that sitting in front of the class would get easier. He was sure the teasing would soon begin.

-----

"Teacher's pet," Gwen said to David as they walked into the cafeteria.

"Have you seen the teacher?" David said in response. "I can think of worse things to be!"

Devyn chuckled, and Gwen blushed.

"But what would Prof. Stott say?" Olissa asked, continuing the teasing. She had been in the class, as well, sitting with Rick, who was also with them.

"Hey, she has no exclusive rights to me. She said so," he replied, raising his chin at her and nodding emphatically. The group laughed as they found their table and sat down.

"Aren't you already spending time with her?" Nate asked. "Miss J, I mean."

"Yeah, as part of my Potions apprenticeship. I think she's just trying to extend that training."

"Probably," Gwen said, getting serious. "What are you learning in your apprenticeship, anyway?"

"This year, I'm learning about the individual ingredients, and what they all do."

"Good grief. Isn't there a book for that?" Nate asked.

"There is, but there are, she says, several dozen common ingredients which it is best to know what they do without looking it up."

Nate nodded. Just then, Jim and Simon joined the table. "Hey, guys," Jim said. Everyone else greeted him. "David... you had MagEc yesterday, right? Why is everyone acting so weird about it?"

Olissa giggled, and Rick, beside her, nudged her.

David feigned innocence. "No reason I know of," he said, trying to be convincing, and failing miserably.

"Uh-huh."

"When's your class?" David asked.

"At one."

"Then you won't have to wait too long to find out, will you?" he said with a mischievous grin. Everyone knew that Jim was going to flip out over Sex Ed.

Jim grumbled good-naturedly, but let the subject drop.

"Oh, say," David said suddenly, "If any of you think of things that surprised you about the school when you got here, let me know, okay?"

"What for?" Rick asked.

"The dean is putting together a student handbook for next year. I'm on the committee to help write it."

"I thought you said you were in charge," Jim said.

David shrugged. "Color me important. Who's in charge isn't all that big a deal in a group of five. Besides, we've all basically got different jobs to do on the project."

"Will you get your name on it?" Nate asked. "You know, credit for doing the work?"

"Beats me. We're not even to the point of having a single article written for it, so I'm not too worried about that."

"I'm sure Dean Lengel will make sure that people know," Gwen assured them all. "She'll probably put a page in the back."

"All I know is it means one of my evenings every week is eaten up," David said.

"You don't want to do it?" Olissa asked.

"I don't mind doing it, and I know it'll help out. I just wasn't looking for more things to do."

"It'll help you socialize, David," Gwen said. "The more people who know you, the less likely there'll be a repeat of last year. You'll have more defenders."

David shrugged. "I guess."

-----

"Welcome back, class. Each of you has been through basic Divination before, so there is no point in me explaining why we are here. You have chosen crystallomancy as your method of choice, and so this semester, we will focus intensely on this technique. There are many subtleties to obtaining the correct image that you are seeking.

"Please note that by correct, I do not mean that you will see a future that you want to see. I simply mean that you will see the future that concerns the time, place, or person that you are actually interested in. If that future is unpleasant or unwanted, you will still see that.

"Now then, there will be no group work or partnering in this class. You will each work alone, as Divination, at least in this case, is a solo act. Today, we will merely get you warmed back up. I want you to gaze into your crystal, and see what you can see. It has been months since you've done any divining, and you need to get your mind back into it. Don't be surprised if you find it difficult at first. Now, begin."

Prof. Zoroaster wandered the room as the students took to the task. David centered himself, using the techniques that Prof. Phillips had taught him the previous year. Then, he gazed into his crystal ball. Unlike the professor's suggestion that they just let whatever would come, come, David had a specific image in mind.

Once again, the ball filled with a green haze, and then the image formed. David frowned, as the image that appeared was the one he had hoped not to see. The image showed the infirmary once again, with Healer Hall blocking his view. When she moved, as David had feared, the image still showed Olissa, lying in the bed, her head bandaged and her eyes closed. In the image, David was sitting in a chair beside her bed, doing his homework. He tried to concentrate, but the image would not show him what the subject of his book was. As he pushed harder, the image faded on him; he had pushed beyond his limit.

David sat back, and found that Prof. Zoroaster was standing beside him.

"The same image?" he asked quietly. David nodded. "Any changes?" David shook his head negatively. "Any new information?" David shook his head again. "How clear was the image?"

"Clearer than last time, but still not crystal clear."

"Then we have some time to avert this future," Prof. Zoroaster said encouragingly. "Do keep an eye on it."

"Yes, sir."

With that, the professor moved along.

-----

David walked into his next class, Potions, early. He hadn't wanted to go back to the dorm after Divination, and so he had wandered around for a little while, and then made his way to Alton Hall.

Prof. Stott saw David, and smiled. Her smile then turned into a bit of a frown, and she motioned him over to her desk.

"Are you here for class?" she asked him.

"Yeah. I know, I'm a bit early. I was bored."

Prof. Stott shook her head. "I'm sorry, David. I simply forgot to tell you. There is absolutely no point in you taking my class anymore. You are well beyond what's going to be taught to these apprentices. You're going to be bored to tears in here."

"Well... what should I do?"

"I would really suggest you sign up for another class. No point in just wasting nearly five hours of your week. Everything they'll be learning, you and I covered in apprenticeship last semester. The stuff you'll be learning in your apprenticeship this year, they won't even begin to touch on. Really, you should consider another class."

"Well, okay. I'm not sure what to take, though. Any ideas?"

"Technomandy might be good for you," she said. "Since you're used to Earth gadgetry."

David nodded. "Who do I go talk to about changing?"

"Someone in the Registration Office."

"Okay." David looked around. No one was looking. He quickly leaned down and gave her a kiss. She kissed back, and smiled at him.

"Thanks, I needed the pick-me-up," she told him.

"Anytime," he told her. "I guess I'd better hustle over to Beckett Hall. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay. Good luck."

-----

"Now, if you'll open... yes, can I help you, David?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt your class, Professor. I was wondering if I could join in."

Prof. Rutherford said, "Take a seat, and we'll talk after class."

"Yes, ma'am." David found the first empty seat, and sat down in it. Prof. Rutherford turned back to the rest of the class.

"Now, if you'll open your textbooks to page 18, we'll begin with an overview of Elemental Manipulation. Now, be aware that you'll do very little actual manipulating in the first year. There is so much to be understood about the process going on behind the scenes that you will need to learn first, that we won't even get in any actual manipulation until late in the second semester. I'm sorry if you thought you were going to be causing earthquakes on your first day in class."

The class chuckled, and the professor continued.

"Now, ultimately, the manipulation of an element is really the manipulation of its energy. Magic, being one energy, can interact with any other energy, if you know how. In this case, we must use magical energy to manipulate the internal energy of the water, or the land, or the fire, or what have you. You do not control these energies with spells, but with pure intent and concentration. This is why you must have a good understanding of the theory; the practice itself relies heavily on you knowing what is going on."

Oh, boy. This sounds a lot like physics, David thought worriedly. Physics had not been his best subject.

-----

"Why the change in your schedule?" Prof. Rutherford asked David. They were sitting in her office, talking about his move into her classroom.

"Prof. Stott told me there wasn't any point in me taking Potions class any longer, so I had to find an alternative."

"Was I your first choice?" she asked.

"Honestly? No."

"What was?"

"Prof. Stott had suggested Technomandy. That was, however, not available with my schedule."

"How far down the list was I?" Prof. Rutherford asked with a grin.

"TEM was the next subject I looked at."

"You didn't consider Animperium or a second round of Divination?"

"No, ma'am. I like animals, but don't really want to mess around with them that much... and crystallomancy was my best divination technique, so that's what I'm taking. This was something new to learn."

"And that's good?" she asked.

"I always like learning new things."

"Well, good. Because in my class, you will be learning new things all the time. I hope you're a faithful studier, however. This is not an easy class."

"I got that impression already. I study several hours a day. I don't sleep much, so it's about all I can do."

Prof. Rutherford chuckled. "Well, okay, then. Go get yourself a book, and we'll see you next week."

"Will do. Oh, by the way, tell your daughter I said, "Boo!"

Prof. Rutherford laughed, and waved him out of the office.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Holy crap," Jim said. They were the first words he uttered upon emerging from the bedroom in the morning. He'd been saying them since coming back from MagEc the day before.

"Jim, if you say 'holy crap' one more time, I'm going to have Jailla take a dump on your head," David told him.

"Sorry. It's just... Holy... er, I mean, shit. I have to get laid now? I've been trying to do that for years!"

"This should be easier," David encouraged him. "You're not trying to date someone, you're just trying to fulfill a class project. Who are you thinking of asking?" David wanted to see if any of their friends were on his list. That could get ugly, if they said no.

"I don't know. I mean... holy crap."

"Jailla..." David said.

"No! No, sorry. It's just... fuck."

"Yes, that's it, exactly," David said with a grin. Jim blushed crimson, and sputtered.

Finally, he said, "I don't know who to ask. I don't want to get laughed at."

"So don't go asking girls who are assholes. I don't think most girls would laugh at you, even if they say no, Jim."

"I hope so."

"Come on, let's go to breakfast. You'll feel better with food."

"I don't know about that. I might puke it all back up."

David rolled his eyes, and headed toward the door.

"Come on, Jailla. I might need you to poop on his head after all."

Jailla chirped merrily and winged his way to David's shoulder.

-----

"Jim is a bit annoying at the moment," Gwen told David. They were walking together to Metamorphosis class. Jim was in the class with them, but he was off doing something.

"He'll get over it. Did he ask you?" David inquired.

"No, thank God. I'd hate to have to reject him like that."

David nodded.

"Any thoughts about who you'll ask?" Gwen queried.

"I have a few in mind, but I haven't made a decision yet."

"You might want to be quick about it," she warned. "Or whoever you ask may already have been taken by someone else."

"Trying to tell me something, Gwen?" David asked mischievously. Gwen blushed almost purple.

"No!" she sputtered out. David chuckled, and then put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed.

"C'mon, let's get to class. All this talk of sex can wait until later."

Gwen's blush didn't go away until halfway through Metamorphosis class.

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"Yyyyes!" Jim said as he came in the door. He actually slid down onto one knee, pumping his fist in the air. Melissa, startled, jumped from her spot in Jim's chair up onto his desk, and screeched at him.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here," Simon said, looking at David. "And say that he got a girl to say yes."

"Ya think?" David asked.

"Just a wild guess," Simon replied.

"Fuck you two! I'm in too good a mood to care!"

"And who is the lucky girl?" David asked.

"Flo!" Jim replied. Simon shook his head, and David chuckled.

"What?" Jim demanded.

"Nothing," David replied. He couldn't tell his friend that he was having trouble imagining bubbly little Flo during sex. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, dude. Now, if we could just get the lessons going..."

David shook his head, and went back to his TEM homework.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"All right. Today we're going to talk about magically touching the pleasure centers of your partner," Coach Hall said. "Of course, you can touch their outer pleasure centers easily enough with your hands... or other body parts," he said, eliciting a chuckle from the class, "but we're referring to their inner pleasure centers, the parts of them that actually feel and interpret the pleasure you provide.

"Now, as with all the intimate magic we've discussed up until now, today's charms are also silent. The reason for this is simply that doing all that chanting in bed is kind of a turnoff, and so we have learned, over time, to come up with silent charms to do the work. It does, however, mean you have to concentrate on the task.

"What you are going to need to do - and I realize it's hard to do this without someone to practice on, but we're not that liberal here! - is to visualize your partner in your mind, and mentally stroke their body in the way that you wish them to feel. While doing that, in your mind, you may need to repeat the spell word Samochet. If you become adept at this, you will no longer need the word, but in the beginning, you might have to use it. Do not say it out loud. This will actually reduce its effectiveness.

"Now, what this will actually do is to allow your magical energy to interact with - it does not control, mind you, but basically 'suggests' to - their internal pleasure energies. If you have done it right, they are likely to feel as if you have touched the spot you visualized... only much more intensely than if you had actually touched it physically. If you want to really make an impact, you can actually do that: touch it physically while you are visualizing. The feelings this will cause can lead to immediate climax, if done at the right time and place."

"Okay, moving on, we are now going to talk about delivering other sensations than a feeling of touch. These can be such things as hot or cold, or even a tingly energy feeling..."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David glared over at Jim. "Would you sit the fuck still? You're vibrating the damned floor!"

"Sorry," Jim said, but it wasn't more than five minutes before he was back to fidgeting again.

"Jim, I swear, I'm going to beat the living crap out of you..." David warned.

"I can't help it! I'm nervous! What if something goes wrong?"

David looked at Simon and rolled his eyes. "Is there something you can actually do if something goes wrong?" he asked Jim.

"....No..."

"Then why worry about it? Either it will, or it won't. You can't control it, so just drop it!"

"I can't! Wait... I know... You're taking Crystallomancy! You could do a viewing for me!"

"You know we're not supposed to play around with it outside of a controlled environment like that."

"Oh, come on! You said you're good at it!"

"I said I'd had a couple successful viewings. There's a difference."

"Please? It'd make me calmer if I knew things were going to go all right."

David sighed. Simon said, "Oh, just do it. It'll shut him up, and maybe we can get some work done!"

"All right, fine. But I need you out of here. I need to focus, and I can't do it with your emotions running rampant all over the energies in here."

"Okay, okay, okay," Jim said, heading for the door. He walked out the door, but David knew he was probably pacing in the hallway.

"You going to just tell him you did a viewing, and everything will go fine?" Simon asked.

David sighed. "I could, but no. I'll go ahead and do the viewing. I don't know if it'll even work, though. It's not my usual time of day for viewing, and Prof. Zoroaster says that, until you get good at it, your mind will become attuned to the time of day." Simon nodded as David went to the shelf and pulled down his crystal ball. He put it on the table, which was away from the candles lit to help them study.

Closing his eyes, David centered himself, and then concentrated on Jim and Flo, and their upcoming sex-date. Once he felt he had that topic solidly in his mind, he opened his eyes, and stared into the crystal.

The green haze slowly gave way to an image. What he saw was Flo... but the other person looked nothing like Jim. Then the other person's visage became transparent, and David saw Jim "inside" the person. The image shifted now, and the two were naked, coupling on some kind of hard surface. Another shift, and it was clearly Jim this time, looking down at himself, as if injured. He grabbed his clothes and ran from the room, leaving Flo looking after him, a little flustered. After that, the image faded, and the haze returned. David leaned back from the crystal.

"Did you see anything?" Simon asked.

"Yeah."

"Was it them?"

"Yeah."

"So... how's it go for him?"

"I'm not about to tell you," David said with a smirk.

"Aww," Simon pouted as David put his crystal ball away.

David went over and opened the door. Jim was standing right on the other side of it.

"Well? Did you see anything? How'd it go? Was everything okay?" Jim walked in firing a dozen questions at David.

"Would you shut up for half a second so I can answer you?" David snarled. Jim closed his mouth and sat down in his desk chair.

"Yes, I saw you two. Are you planning a glamour charm?"

"Yeah, why? Does that go bad? I can think of something-"

"SHUT UP!" David shouted angrily. His annoyance at Jim was really peaking. Jim closed his mouth again.

"I just wanted to make sure I was seeing the right thing. Things go fine. All I can say to you about what goes on is, you really need to relax a bit, and stop fucking worrying so much. Flo doesn't laugh at you, or make fun of you, or anything of the sort. You need to just focus on making her feel good, and getting your charms right, and forget about all the other shit that's running through your head!"

Jim let out a big sigh of relief. "Okay. Thanks, man."

"Yeah, whatever. Can I do my homework now? TEM is kicking my ass."

"Sorry."

David sat down at his desk and looked over at Simon. Simon saw the look on his face, and his jaw dropped. David just shook his head "no" in the smallest possible manner. Simon closed his eyes and sighed, then went back to his own homework.

Jim saw none of this exchange, too busy fantasizing.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"...and you would set them down by slowly envisioning the removal of energy. You don't want to do it too fast, or you will drop them.

"Now, last time, we talked about how to slow things down, but there are some times that you may wish to speed a few things up. For instance, the removal of clothing can be a sensual act, but in many cases, they're just in the way. For those times, there is a charm that will remove them in a flash. This is really the most basic form of conjuration, and I would recommend that you practice this vigorously by yourself before you try it on anyone else, because you are likely to get it wrong on the first try.

"Now, of course, there is visualization necessary, but what you want to visualize is not the naked person beneath the clothes, but the clothes moving from on the body, to someplace else, such as a chair, or the floor, or what have you. If you focus too greatly on the nude form, then some very strange things will happen, and neither you nor your date will enjoy them.

"Once your visualization is complete, you will say the charm. Now, if you're good at it, the charm can be silent, but I think most of you will be much safer if you say it aloud. The charm is beosda. Say it with me." The class did so. "If you feel the need to move your hands during this, the appropriate motion is to take both hands like this, and move them downward and away, in a sweeping motion, thus." Coach Hall demonstrated. "The hand movements are especially useful if you aren't verbalizing the charm, but you will find they help either way.

"If you mess up this charm, expect to need to replace the clothing you or your partner are wearing. If you screw it up bad enough, expect to need a visit to the infirmary. I tell you this not to scare you, but to warn you that this spell can be dangerous. Conjuration is not something to be toyed with lightly. If you wish to practice this safely, before risking your neck, you can put some clothes onto a group of pillows, or on a coat rack, or something similar. So long as the clothes are held in place by the object they are on. Just setting them on a table, for instance, is not sufficient.

"Okay, that's our class time. Give this spell at least a couple tries, safely, just to see whether you have any skill with it. Of course, practice makes perfect, so the more you try, the better you'll be.

"See you all next week."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Good afternoon, David," Prof. Stott said when he walked into her workroom.

"Hey, Sam," he said, walking over and giving her a warm kiss.

"Mmm. Good mood, or trying to improve a bad one?" she asked with a bit of concern.

"Ehh, neither? Just wanted a kiss," he said with a smile. Sam smiled back at him.

"My pleasure, then!" she said with a grin. "How are things going this year? Any problems like last year?" They were a couple weeks in, and she figured if there was going to be trouble, it would be showing by now.

"Not so far. Oh, there've been a couple kids who've called me nasty names, but they don't seem to be getting any followers. So far, the year is peaceful on that front."

"That's good. Classes going all right?"

"As well as they do for me. Why the questions?" David asked curiously.

Sam sighed. "I just want things to go better for you this year. Last year sucked rocks... is that how that phrase is used?"

David laughed. "Yes, it is... but no, it didn't. I learned some great stuff, made some good friends... made one really good friend..." he said, running his hand along her side and making her shiver. "And I passed. So... I mean, I'm not going to say it was the best year of my life, but it was okay."

Sam smiled at him. "You're awfully optimistic for a dead guy."

David chuckled at that.

"Still, I want you to have years here that are better than 'okay'. When I attended this school, it was, and still is, the best time of my life. It's why I wanted to teach here. I love this place, and I want you to love it, too... and I don't want a bunch of jerks to spoil it for you."

David gave Sam a hug. "Did we walk down memory lane recently?" David asked softly.

Sam smiled wanly. "Yeah, kind of. An old friend visited over the weekend."

"Well, don't you worry about how I'm doing. Things are going better."

"You'll let me know if trouble crops up?" David hesitated. "David..." she said in a warning tone.

"I'll let you know if there's a problem," he replied. She knew that was as good as she was going to get out of him.

"Thank you."

David kissed her again, for longer this time. After a while, though, they separated.

"So, are we working today, or did you want to play instead?" David asked with a grin.

"Playing sounds like fun... but we really should do some more work."

David sighed theatrically, and then gave her a short peck on the cheek. "If you insist."

Sam shook her head ruefully at him as he stepped away from her. She marveled at how quickly he could switch from comforting her, to enticing her, to... properly working beside her in a professional manner.

She shook herself out of her reverie, and then pulled down the Herbal Encyclopedia they were using currently.

"Okay, let's move on to kraken eye root," she said, opening the book.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Hey, David," Carol greeted him.

"Hey, Carol. Any mail for me?"

"You haven't been here in a week. Of course there's mail for you. Let me get it," she said with a grin. She was back in a flash, with a small stack of envelopes, and one scroll.

"I don't understand how I get this much mail. I've spent no time in Dugerra outside of this school."

"Well, a lot of this mail is from the school. See, this one is about licensure. This one, of course, is a sale flyer from the bookstore. The scroll is the activity schedule for the month."

David unrolled it, and one event popped out at him. "Oh, good. Another magical creatures seminar."

"Did you catch any of them last year?" Carol asked.

"Both of them."

"If you never got your mail, how did you find out about them?" she asked.

"C'mon, you know I got my mail second semester."

"Fair enough," she said with a grin. "But what about the first one?"

"I heard it through the grapevine, so to speak. Some kids were talking about it in the cafeteria."

"So, you'll listen in on other conversations, but won't read the bulletin board?" she chided with a tolerant grin.

"Why read the bulletin board, if I can get others to do it for me?" he replied, arching his eyebrows. They both chuckled over that.

"Anyway, I've got to go. I've got class soon. Have a good one," he told her.

"You, too, David," she responded.

As he walked away, David thought to himself, I wonder what kind of creatures he'll talk about in this one...

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"No," David said flatly.

"C'mon, David. This'd really help me out."

"Jim, I am not going to come with you on your sex-date with Flo! That's just... weird! And somehow, I think Flo would object!"

"She doesn't need to know you're there! You can go invisible! She'd never even see you."

"Pickles would."

"The familiars around here never seem to react to ghosts," Jim said, dismissing that objection.

"Jim, why the hell do you want another guy to watch you getting laid? That's just fucked up."

"I don't want to screw up!" Jim hissed. The two were in their bedroom, with the door closed. Simon and Nate were out in the main room, doing homework. "You've got the experience. You can just whisper in my ear if I'm doing something completely dumb."

David walked over and whispered in Jim's ear, "You're doing something completely dumb right now."

Jim blushed, but shook his head. "Come on, dude. This would really help me out. And I'd owe you one."

"You already owe me like three, anyway."

"Well, then I'd owe you four. But this would be a big one. Please?"

David sighed. "You're going to keep bugging me until I agree, aren't you?"

"Pretty much."

"Fine. But if I get caught, you are taking the heat for it."

"Sure, no problem. Thanks, man. I mean it. This is a load off my mind. I don't know if I could have gone through with it, without..."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Can I go do my homework now?"

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Are you planning on choosing an outfit today?" David asked in annoyance.

"Look, David, this is my first time. It's a big deal. It's gotta be perfect."

"No, it doesn't. And you need to stop thinking like that. You're putting so much fucking pressure on yourself that if the slightest thing goes wrong, you are going to totally freak out. It's just sex."

"Easy for you to say! You seem to be able to fuck anything that walks!"

David rolled his eyes. "Did it ever occur to you that perhaps the reason you have so much trouble is because you're far too eager?"

Jim pulled on a new shirt - it was his fourth choice of the night - and glared at David. "Of course I'm fucking eager! I'm a nineteen-year-old virgin!"

David threw up his hands in surrender. He had been trying to get Jim to calm down about the whole thing for days, with an increasing lack of success. He was honestly glad that the night had finally arrived, as he didn't think he could take a lot more of this crap.

"Are you ready now?" David asked, once Jim had finished getting dressed.

"Uh... yeah, I think so... how do I look?"

"What does it matter? You plan on using a glamour, anyway, so you'll look like whatever the hell you want."

"Yeah, but she'll see me before that," he objected.

David sighed. "You look fine. Can we go now?"

The two left their dorm room and moved quickly down the hall and up the stairs, to Flo's room. David looked both ways, to make sure there was no one around, and then he faded to complete invisibility. He could see Jim nearly shaking in nervousness.

"Knock on the goddamned door," David muttered to him.

Jim raised his hand and unsteadily knocked. In only a few seconds, the door opened, and Flo stood there. She was wearing a dressing gown, obviously ready for the night's activity.

"Hey, Jim!" she said brightly. "Come on in." Jim stepped in, and David had to phase through the door as Flo was closing it. He moved over to one side to watch. He felt it was unseemly, but he knew he couldn't leave; Jim would probably want to talk about what had gone on, and David would be expected to know the details.

"So, are you ready for some fun?" Flo asked Jim with a grin and a playful look.

Jim blushed. "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess. Should we go in the bedroom?"

Flo shook her head. "Can't. Sadie's in there asleep. She's sick. The other two promised not to come back for at least three hours. We'll do it right out here."

"Uh... okay," Jim said, a bit befuddled. David walked over to him.

"Just roll with it," he hissed quietly into Jim's ear. "You have desks and a table. You have everything you might need. Now do something, before she thinks you're weird."

Jim nodded, and then he moved toward Flo. "Well, it's not quite what I had in mind, but we'll make it work. How do you want to get started?"

Flo replied happily with a flourish of her hand, "It's your show."

Jim closed his eyes and concentrated, then he quietly muttered, "Fugio." His appearance instantly changed to one that gave Prof. Phillips a run for his money.

Flo looked on, impressed, and said, "Hubba hubba!"

Jim blushed, and moved closer to her. She leaned her head up as he approached, and the two kissed. David kept a close eye on Jim, to make sure he didn't do anything really dumb, as this was his first time, but he seemed to be doing okay with this.

The two remained lip-locked for quite some time, but finally Jim broke the kiss and stepped back. He asked, a bit nervously, "Are you ready?"

"Uh-huh," Flo said with a smile.

Jim opened his shirt and pulled it off, revealing his glamour-induced muscles. He dropped the shirt to the floor, and then focused on his partner. He took a deep breath, and then he lifted his hands in front of himself, then swept them down and to the sides. Instantly, Flo's clothing disappeared. It reappeared, David noticed, on one of the desks.

Not bad, Jim, David thought to himself.

"Ooh!" Flo gushed, covering herself briefly in surprise, but then lowering her hands so that Jim could get a better look. Both boys enjoyed the view. "Where do you want me, big boy?" she asked.

Jim hesitated. His fantasy happened on a bed, but there were no beds here. "Um... the table, I guess."

Flo sauntered over to the table and hiked herself up onto it. She leaned back, supporting herself on her elbows, and then waited for him, giving him a come-hither look that almost had David moving forward.

Jim stepped close to Flo, and then he reached out, grasping her tits and mauling them. David quickly moved over to Jim and whispered very quietly, "Not so hard. Go easy."

Jim eased off, and David moved back away. He didn't really want to be too close to another guy getting laid, though he had to admit that Flo's body was a lot nicer than her outfits had led him to believe.

As Jim continued to caress Flo's tits more gently now, she began to moan soft encouragements to him. As he felt more confident, he moved in tighter, pressing himself against her.

"Mm," she murmured. "Why don't you let that cock of yours out to play?"

Jim's pants were unfastened and down his legs in no time flat, exposing his iron-hard dick to Flo's view for the first time.

"Oh, yeah," she said, her voice quavering a little. She reached out and stroked her hand along his cock, and Jim shuddered. Flo gently pressed Jim's dick downward until the head of it was pressing against her opening. "Go for it, big boy," she encouraged.

Jim tried his hardest to control himself, but he simply could not do so. He thrust forward with all of his might, slamming his full length inside of Flo in one shove. Flo cried out in surprise, but then her eyes brightened and she smiled widely at him.

"Oh, yeah," she repeated, only with a different tone, one that told him she wanted more of that.

Jim closed his eyes and began chanting Samochet in his head over and over. Flo felt as though soft feathers were brushing over her tits, while Jim's real hands slid down onto her hips. Once he had hold of her, he began to thrust into her hard and fast.

As Jim continued his thrusts, Flo was clearly getting worked up. She began to utter strong encouragements to her partner.

"Oh, you like pounding my pussy, don't you?" she asked.

"Yes!" Jim said enthusiastically, and sped up even more.

Flo panted, and asked, "You love how I feel wrapped around you, don't you?"

"Yes!" Jim replied again, louder and with a bit of a grunt. He continued to slam into her as hard as he could.

Flo moaned, and cried out, "You want to fuck me all night long!"

"YYESS!" Jim shouted loudly, and then David saw the stricken look cross his face, as Jim's motions became jerky, and it was clear that he was coming. He shuddered and grunted a couple times, and then, when he was finished, he pulled out.

"Sorry," Jim said, ill with embarrassment. "I got carried away."

Flo waved it off with a smile. "Happens to me all the time."

Jim's glamour abruptly crashed, and he bolted, not even stopping to retrieve his shirt.

Flo, meanwhile, lay back on the table. She rubbed her tits, and said to herself, "Dammit, now I'm all horny. I was close..."

David wasn't about to reveal himself, but he didn't want to leave Flo all flustered on Jim's account. As she continued to rub her tits, he moved over to her and pressed his thumb against her clit, rubbing back and forth. In his mind, he was chanting Samochet, and envisioning her clit being rubbed. The two actions together were an explosion of pleasure in Flo's mind.

"Oh-OH-OHHH!" Flo screamed, and came violently. David continued his ministrations until Flo started bucking heavily on the table. He feared she would fall off, and so he removed his hand and ended his charm, and Flo finally started to slowly settle from her climax.

Before she was coherent again, David was out of the room.

-----

David spent two hours looking for Jim after realizing that he was not in their dorm room. He had not managed to find him, and finally he gave up, going back to his dorm and returning to his studies. He sat for the longest time, though, thinking about what had happened, and the fact that he had not yet asked someone to be his own partner for Sex Ed.

I've got to pick someone soon.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Take notes for me," Jim said.

"No," David replied curtly. "You cannot hide in here for the rest of the year."

"I can't face her!" Jim hissed. "And you know she's going to say something! She only sits a few rows from us!"

"And you plan on avoiding her for... how long?" David asked.

"Forever?" Jim offered.

"You're being a twit. Shit happens. She didn't seem upset about it after you left."

"You talked to her?"

"Are you insane? No, I didn't talk to her. I just stood there and watched for a few seconds." David chose not to tell Jim that he had, in a way, finished Jim's job for him.

"I can't face her! And dammit, she has my favorite shirt now."

David rolled his eyes.

"I can't deal with this now, or I'm going to be late. I'm not covering for you with Prof. Phillips. If he asks where you are, I'm going to tell him you're hiding in your room."

"Thanks a lot, David," Jim said acidly.

"Hey, I'm not going to help you be an idiot. Come on, Jailla," David called on his way to the door.

-----

When David sat down at his desk in C&H, Flo immediately turned to look at him. David tried to keep his expression neutral, but that didn't prevent Flo from coming over to him.

"Good morning, Flo," David said in greeting.

"Hi, David," she said, her normally bubbly self a little subdued. "Do you know where Jim is?"

"Hiding. He, uh... told me to apologize to you for last night."

"He told you what happened?" she asked, moving around to sit in Jim's chair.

"He told me... enough."

"Why did he run out like that? I mean... okay, I guess it was embarrassing for him... but we could have gone on..."

"It was his first time, Flo. Didn't he tell you that?"

Flo blushed. "No! Ohmigod! Why didn't he say something?"

"Embarrassment, I'm sure. Anyway, when... what happened, happened... he'd already put too much pressure on himself for everything to go perfect. What happened was not part of his plan."

"He was really excited, huh?" she asked.

David rolled his eyes. "You have no idea the shit that we put up with as his roommates."

Flo giggled, but then got a little more serious. "You think he'd talk to me?"

"Only if you corner him," David replied. "If he can get away, he will."

"How could I do that?" she asked.

"You could bring him back his shirt," David said with a raised eyebrow. "If you catch him in the dorm room, he's really got nowhere to go."

"Good idea, thanks."

Flo moved back to her seat as Prof. Phillips walked in, prepared to start the class.

-----

David sat through MagEc, only half paying attention. He had done what he could to help Jim, but that didn't resolve his own issue about who to ask. He pulled out the list he'd made of people he was considering. The list wasn't that long, which kind of worried him; if they had all made other arrangements already, he'd be stuck.

Well, nothing for it but to start asking. Rose is the first person on the list, and she's sitting right over there...

David fidgeted until the end of the class, and then he got up in rather a hurry. He wanted to try to catch Rose before she left.

Luckily for David, Rose was still sitting, talking to one of her friends when he made it over to her desk.

"Yeah?" she asked him offhandedly.

"Hey, Rose... can I talk to you for a minute... privately?"

"Yeah, sure. Go on, Paula. I'll catch up later."

As Paula walked away, Rose got on with packing up her books. "What's on your mind?" she asked David.

"Well," David said, nervous, "I was wondering if you would be willing to be my partner for Sex Ed," he said, pushing the sentence out as calmly as he could. He hated asking girls out.

"Why me?" Rose asked in a voice that David took for exasperation.

David grew upset. "Look, if you're not interested, you can just say no. You don't have to get nasty about it."

David started to walk away, but Rose, who had been closing up her book bag, grabbed his wrist. He looked down at her.

"That didn't come out the way I meant it," Rose told him. "What I meant was, why are you asking me, as opposed to anyone else? Or have you already asked a bunch of other people?"

"No, you're the first girl I've asked."

"So... why me? I barely know you."

"Well... actually, that's kind of why. We don't know each other very well, and we don't hang around with the same people, so... if things go wrong, then we don't have to deal with awkwardness for the rest of the year."

Rose nodded, and stood up. "And what if things go right?" she asked with a grin.

"We can deal with that if it happens," David said with a corresponding smile.

"Hmm," Rose said.

"You don't have a boyfriend, do you?" David asked worriedly. "I wouldn't want to get in the middle of that..."

"No, I don't have a boyfriend currently."

"Oh. Okay. So... are you interested?"

"Kiss me," she replied

"What?" David asked, surprised.

"Kiss me. Hey, if we're going to have sex, a kiss should be no big deal. But I want to know what I might be getting into. So, kiss me."

David smirked and asked, "With or without tongue?"

"Whatever you want to use to try to convince me," she said with a challenging look in reply.

David stepped close to Rose and pressed his lips to hers. He started gently, but as they kissed, he grew bolder. It wasn't long before he slipped his tongue out and into Rose's waiting mouth, and they tongue-wrestled for a long minute before finally breaking off.

Rose smiled broadly, and was a bit winded. "Nice," she finally said. "Yes, I am definitely interested."

"Great!" David enthused.

"But there is something you need to know about me," she told him.

"What's that?"

"I'm a bit... weird... in bed."

"How do you mean?"

"I'm a little... freaky."

David looked at her, still nonplussed. "In what way?"

Rose looked to see that no one else was around. The room was empty except for them.

"I like to be tied up and helpless. That really turns me on." She watched very closely for David's reaction.

"Oh," David said, finally understanding. "Well, in that case, I'm going to have to postpone our date."

"Why?" Rose asked, a little hurt.

"Well, I'd had one set of charms in mind for our date... but if that's the kind of thing you want, I need to brush up on some other charms instead," he replied.

"Oh," Rose said, blushing. "So... when do you want to?"

"Well, I'll need a bit of time... how about a week from Saturday?"

"Works for me," she said.

"Great," he said. "Well, I'll let you catch up with your friend. Thanks for agreeing."

"What about the contract?" Rose asked.

"Oh, right! Dammit, I don't have it with me. I'll bring it to the next class."

"Or I can drop by your room tonight. Which dorm room are you in?"

David told her, and she promised to come by later.

As David was about to leave, she said, "David?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I have another kiss before you go?"

David grinned, and he kissed her again, just as strongly as the first time.

-----

David was working on his TEM homework when Rose dropped by. Simon was the one who answered the door.

"Whoa, who's the babe?" Nate asked, looking up.

"Careful there," David said. "That's my Sex Ed partner you're drooling at."

As Rose came over to him, David opened the drawer of his desk and pulled out the contract she had to sign. He stood up and turned to face her, and she immediately kissed him. He didn't object, but was a bit surprised.

When they finally came up for air, David smiled at her. "Hello to you, too."

Rose blushed, and didn't say anything. David turned and slid the contract to an empty spot on the desk. Then he handed her his InkyQuill.

"You're still sure you're okay with my... weirdness?" Rose asked quietly.

"I'll adjust," David assured her.

"Okay." She signed the contract, and set down the InkyQuill.

"Thank you," David said. The two started to kiss once again, ignoring the others that were in the room. They did stop when there was another knock at the door, though.

"You want to get that, Jim? I'm a bit busy," David said with a grin. Simon and Nate both looked up from their work; they wondered why he had asked Jim specifically.

"Uh-huh," Jim grunted. He had been studiously ignoring David and Rose, trying to do his work. As he walked across the room, David whispered in Rose's ear.

"If this is who I think it is, this should be interesting."

Rose giggled.

When Jim opened the door, he immediately backpedaled.

"Uh, Flo! Hi! Uh... what are you doing here?"

"I came to return your shirt," she said. She tossed it onto the table before turning, winking at David, and advancing on Jim.

Jim backed away from her, eventually ending up with his back pressed against the wall.

"You owe me," Flo said.

"I'm sorry, Flo... I can't... I mean, I don't really have an explanation..."

"I don't want an explanation," she said, her voice changing from sternness to lustfulness as she said, "I want my damned orgasm!"

Flo pressed her lips to Jim's and kissed him, hard. Jim tried to look over at David for support, but David took that moment to return to kissing Rose, who didn't object at all. Finally, Jim wrapped his arms around Flo and kissed her back.

Nate looked up at them all, and said to Simon, "If a girl shows up for you, I'm gonna feel really left out."

Simon chuckled, and called out, "Hey, did someone think to fix us up with dates?"

The two groups broke their kissing. Rose was a little embarrassed, but the others basically ignored the two unattached boys.

Flo said to Jim, "We are going to try again. Tomorrow night."

"But the rules say..."

"We will just pretend that it all happened at once. And don't you dare run out on me again, or I'll sic Pickles on you!" The squirrel, which had been hidden in her hair, stuck its head out and chittered at Jim.

"Okay," Jim agreed. "Seven?"

"Yes. If you're not there, I'll come looking for you." Flo turned to the others and with a smile and a little wave, said, "Bye, all!" Then she breezed out the door.

"I should be going, too," Rose told David. "I have a ton of homework to do."

"Okay."

"Join me for breakfast?" Rose asked.

"Um... well, why don't you join us? I always sit with my friends for meals."

Rose pouted, but then said, "Okay. See ya." She gave him another, brief, kiss, and then left.

"How did you score that babe?" Nate inquired.

David shrugged. "I asked her."

"That's it? 'I asked her'? That's all the advice you're going to give?"

"What else do you want? I walked up, asked her, and she said yes. Well, she did make me kiss her first..."

"Ah-hah! So it's the kissing!" Nate exclaimed.

"Yes. I highly recommend practicing your kissing."

Simon objected, "There's just one problem with that."

"What's that?" Nate asked.

"You've got to already have a girl, to practice kissing with."

"Oh. Yeah," Nate said, dejected.

David shook his head, and went back to his homework.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Good morning, students," Professor Schmidt called out. "Welcome to our first Magical Creatures Familiarization Seminar of the year. Today's seminar will focus on avian races. I'm afraid you won't be able to interact with most of our creatures today, as it's just not safe to do so. Still, I think you will be intrigued by what I have to show you.

"We are going to start out with our smallest creature." Prof. Schmidt went to a cage and pulled out a bird that looked to David like a slightly large cockatiel, with slate blue colorings where the cockatiel's gray color normally would be.

"This," said Prof. Schmidt, "is an echoraptor. They feed on small prey items such as mice and smaller zeppelin fish. They catch their meal by stunning them with an ear-splitting scream. I will demonstrate, but I suggest you all cover your ears, or you will have a nasty headache for the rest of the day."

As everyone put their hands over their ears, Prof. Schmidt put a small box on the ground and opened it. A field mouse scurried out, immediately catching the attention of the bird. It focused intently, and then, when the field mouse paused for a moment, the echoraptor let loose with a horrific screech. David could swear he saw the air turbulence as the sound traveled toward the mouse. The mouse immediately fell over, and was not moving.

Seeing its prey incapacitated, the echoraptor swiftly flew down and grabbed it, flying off to a nearby tree branch to eat.

Prof. Schmidt asked, "Okay, are there any questions?"

One student asked, "Are they dangerous to people?"

"Only if you were holding one as I just was. Had that screech been directed at my ear, it could have ruptured my ear drum and done some other minor damage. They will not actively harm humans, but they can hurt you by accident, or in order to protect themselves. They do, of course, have all the basic defenses of a hookbill, as well: sharp claws and a sharp, pointy beak."

"Do they make good pets?"

"No."

There seemed to be no additional questions, so Prof. Schmidt said, "All right, let's move on, then. Here comes our next specimen."

A helper led the animal out from the stable nearby. It had the rear end of a horse, but its front half looked like a gigantic bird. "This is a hippogriff," Prof. Schmidt told them. "Half bird, half horse. The bird portion is either eagle, hawk, or owl. The horse portion is... well, horse." The class chuckled at that. "These are not herbivores, as horses are, but are omnivores, instead. They will eat some larger fruits and vegetables, though the smaller ones are simply too hard for them to manipulate. Mainly, though, they eat meat. Their primary food is medium-sized mammals such as wild goats and small deer."

"Are they dangerous?" someone asked.

"They can be, if you're not careful. They startle easily, and, while they can fly away if they want, often their first choice for defense is to attack. You are most likely to be in danger when they are feeding. If you should encounter one that is simply resting, or perhaps getting a drink, then just give it some space, and it should leave you alone. They don't hunt humans for food, though they have been known to feed on the already-dead bodies of fallen soldiers."

"Specifically, soldiers?" another student asked.

"Yes. They have never been witnessed eating a non-soldier."

David asked, "How come this one wasn't with all the other horse races last year?"

"Well, we had enough races in that seminar already. Also, I was having trouble getting hold of one. I would let you pet him, but this one is not very friendly at all, and so I think it wise if we don't go there. Let's move on, shall we?"

The professor moved over behind a low wall, which was clearly concealing something. He came out with a large bird, easily the size of an eagle, or perhaps even bigger. The bird's plumage was red and orange, and it shimmered in the sunlight. Its tail was longer than an eagle, and the talons on its feet looked almost silvery.

"As I'm sure many of you recognize, this is a phoenix. They are highly magical birds, capable of many things. They can lift far more than any bird should be able to, and their tears can work as a curative potion, though collecting them from an unwilling phoenix can cause you more damage than what you're trying to cure!" The group laughed dutifully.

"Of course, the phoenix is best known for its reincarnation process. At the end of its life, it will burst into flame, and reduce itself to a pile of ash. Out of that ash will be born a new phoenix. This process happens every fifty to one-hundred years, depending on the particular species of phoenix.

"Now, since it has been continually asked, I will say that phoenixes are not harmful to humans unless you try to capture one against its will. They can be helpful, if you can get their cooperation. This is not that hard, so long as you give them the respect they deserve. They understand our intent, and will generally lend a hand when it is needed. If you feel comfortable doing so, you may come up and touch him. Please keep your contact gentle, or he may nip in defense."

The students were hesitant to touch the phoenix, and so only a few, David included, went up to say hello. David was used to dealing with birds, since he'd had Jailla for a year now. The phoenix enjoyed having its chin scratched as much as Jailla did.

Once everyone had a chance with the phoenix, Prof. Schmidt put it back behind the wall. He turned to the group and said, "For our last two creatures, we need to move out of the aviary, and into open space. Please follow me."

Prof. Schmidt led them out into the open field behind Savage Hall. The students noticed an area of the field was scorched down to black earth, and they all wondered what that was about.

"Now, our next creature will be here in a few moments. You'll know it when he gets close."

In just a few seconds, they all heard a sound like the rumble of thunder in the distance. This was odd, as it was a clear day. Suddenly, out of the sky, a huge bird descended. It was dark blue and white, with black markings on its head. It resembled a hawk, but was at least ten feet long.

"This," Prof. Schmidt said, "is a thunderbird. It is an air elemental. Apart from making that sound as it flies, the thunderbird is also capable of controlling the weather, to some extent. They tend to bring rain wherever they go, and when angry, they can conjure storms. If you happen upon a thunderbird nest by accident, I suggest you back away from it slowly, with your hands raised in clear indication of non-aggression. These are dangerous birds, and they will kill you if you irritate them. For that reason, we cannot allow you to interact with him. Are there any questions?"

"Where do they live, and what do they normally eat?"

"They live in mountainous areas. As to what they eat... that is actually a very good question. No one really knows."

"Are they dangerous to us outside of their nests?"

"If you get caught in one of their storms, they can be. They are not known for directly causing harm to people, except in defense. Anyone else?"

"Will they help people? Could you convince one to come rain on a drought-stricken land?"

"You could try. People have been known to succeed in doing that, but it is a very dangerous proposition. If you don't succeed, you probably won't live through the process."

There were no further questions, and so Prof. Schmidt turned to the thunderbird, and bowed. The creature took to the sky immediately.

"So how did you get that one to come here?" someone wanted to know.

"Advanced Animperium technique," Prof. Schmidt said with a grin. "Now, our final creature is both rare, and extremely dangerous. I would ask you all to please be on your best behavior." Prof. Schmidt let that sink in, and then he raised his wand and fired a bolt of light into the air. It exploded high over the school.

"I had to call our last guest in," he explained. Suddenly, out of the sky hurled what looked like a ball of fire. When it came to ground, however, it showed itself to be an amazingly large creature in the shape of a bird, its entire body made of flame.

"This is, of course, a firebird," Prof. Schmidt explained. "This is not really a bird, per se, but this is the only form this fire elemental ever takes. Firebirds live in volcanoes, generally. They are quite intelligent, as all elementals are. Though I doubt this really needs saying, given where they live, I would not go seeking one out unless you have a dire need of their assistance.

"Firebirds have been known to help humans in the past. In fact, Lord Woodward had a standing agreement with one. This is tricky to achieve, however, and should not be attempted lightly. Should you anger the firebird, there will be no body for your followers to find. If you should slip and fall while trying to reach the firebird, you will meet roughly the same fate. In short, trying to get the help of a firebird is probably not worth it; it would probably be easier just to face whatever it is on your own.

"As you can tell by the ground here, firebirds will burn or scorch anything they touch. If they choose, they can set an entire forest ablaze simply by flying over it. There is even a legend that they are capable of creating a fiery whirlwind, like a tornado, that destroys everything in its path. In short, the firebird is not to be trifled with.

I suggest that you endeavor to make this the only time in your life you will ever see one. Are there any questions?"

Most of the students were still too stunned to actually ask anything about the firebird. Prof. Schmidt said, "Very well. Thank you, my friend," he said to the firebird, who immediately flew off into the sky. To the students, he said, "And that concludes our seminar for the day. Our next seminar will be held just after the start of the second semester, and will cover a myriad of different species that don't fit well into neat categories. I hope you have enjoyed this time, and learned something from it. Good day."

David was a little shaky as he left. Seeing the firebird up close had been downright frightening.

Nate, who was with him, said, "I hope I never see that again."

David just nodded.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~