Magic Academy (X-Men/Harry Potter-esque AU)

[Scribbler]

Kisara looked up from her book. “Miss Chono? Were you looking for me?”

“Of course, dear girl.” Miss Chono sat down beside her at the library table. “You missed your appointment.”

“My …?” Understanding dawned in her eyes. “I’m sorry, ma’am.”

“These weekly sessions are essential, dear girl,” Miss Chono chided. “You don’t know what might happen if you went cold turkey, now, do you?”

Kisara hunched in her chair. “I guess. I was just –”

“Never mind what you were ‘just’ doing. You skipped your appointment with me and forced me to come and find you. That just won’t do, dear girl.” Miss Chono rapped beringed knuckles against the table top, causing the other people in the library to look up. When they saw her they quickly looked away again. One even got up and left. Nobody wanted to risk catching her attention and all were quietly grateful that she had fastened onto Kisara instead of them. The beautiful blonde teacher was the very definition of a poisoned chalice: attractive, elegant, powerful and conceited as all get out. It was no secret that she hated all the female students and faculty members she considered prettier than herself.

Kisara wished the floor would swallow her up. “Sorry, Miss Chono.”

“Well, chop-chop. Get up and let’s get going.”

She didn’t bother asking whether she had to. Kisara knew this drill. She got up, closed her book on her bookmark and tucked it under her arm, making sure to keep the title covered. Apparently she wasn’t quick enough, as Miss Chono deftly snatched it out of her hand and wrinkled her nose.

“What’s this? Some bawdy romance novel? How bourgeois.”

“It’s just … it’s nothing special, ma’am.”

“Don’t call me ma’am, dear girl; it’s terribly aging and offensive.” Miss Chono threw down the copy of ‘Tristan and Isolde’ and stalked away, crooking a finger for Kisara to follow. Kisara warily pushed the book into the inside pocket of her blazer first. It didn’t fit well but she didn’t want to leave it behind as she trailed after Miss Chono to her office.

[cypsiman2]

"All right." Miss. Chono said as she closed and locked the doors to her extraordinarily spacious office. "Transform, get it out of your system before it has the chance to spill out at an inopportune time."

Kisara did as told, her clothes vanishing as light spilled out from her body, obscuring her form as it took on increasingly more draconic dimensions.

"Very good dear. Now remain still, you have to build up your endurance." Miss. Chono, true to her name, turned into a giant butterfly both monstrous and beautiful. She hovered over Kisara and unleashed toxins from her wings, causing Kisara's scales to burn. She would have to remain perfectly still for ten minutes without making a sound, or else she would not pass, and if she did not pass, her freedoms would be curtailed in the name of eliminating distractions.

But her love for Seto was not a distraction. She would endure and meet with him again, get to know him more and more until their lives were part of one another's.

[Scribbler]

Pain endurance was a terrible thing. Kisara knew she had to beat her previous time, but every second stretched into a lifetime of agony. By the time Miss Chono allowed her to return to her human form she was shaking and exhausted. She had learned to curl her head over so she didn’t dislodge ceiling tiles in the office, which had given her a crick in her neck alongside everything else. She knelt, naked and shuddering, on the rug until Miss Chono also transformed and draped a blanket over her shoulders.

“Very good,” she said in a slightly gentler voice than before. Of course, gentle for Miss Chono was like saying torrential rain was better than a hurricane. “You improved by thirty seconds and your reversion to human is much smoother. If you ever meet anyone who is able to hurt your dragon form you’ll be able to carry on fighting through the pain barrier for a little while, at least.”

Kisara clutched the blanket around her. She wanted to ask whether all this was really necessary. She wanted to know why she would be expected to fight when she was injured and in pain. She wanted to know why she would be expected to use her beautiful dragon body to fight at all. She didn’t. She was acutely aware of the life that waited her outside these walls and couldn’t bear the thought of returning to it. If it meant she could stay here, she would let her teacher spray her with poison and win all her ‘training’ battles with other students, no matter what.

Something touched her bare shoulder. She turned her head slightly to see Miss Chono trailing her middle and index fingers along the curve to her collarbone.

“You really do have beautifully pale skin, dear girl,” she said a little huskily. “Like alabaster.”

Something about the way she touched her made Kisara want to run from the room, but her shaking legs wouldn’t support her. Instead, she pulled the blanket up over her shoulder and hunched into it like it could protect her from all the hurts the world had to offer.

Miss Chono snapped her hand back. “Well now! Prickly, aren’t we? And after I gave you my best fox-fur coat.”

Kisara realised the warm blanket wasn’t a blanket at all. Glancing down, she saw the baleful glass eyes and gaping jaw of a dead fox staring back at her. She felt revolted, but it was wear that or go naked until she could struggle back into her clothes.

“M-Miss Chono? Could I have my uniform back now, please?”

Miss Chono all it threw it at her. “Dress and get out,” she said in disgust, flipping from gentleness to loathing in a heartbeat. She stalked to her desk, completely at ease with her own nakedness. She even sat down, put on her glasses and started to grade papers without bothering to dress; as if a lack of clothing was the rest of the world’s problem, not hers.

Kisara got dressed under the coat, laid it on a nearby chair and fled.

[cypsiman2]

Yuugi slumped on into his room, the school day finally over; after everything he'd learned, and not just about magical theory, he felt like his head was pounding. Anzu always said that she just worked hard at studying, but he still believed that she had a real talent for it, just like she had a real talent for a lot of things, while his only talent was at games.

Games, and the power now being kept at bay by the amulet that Pegasus had given him.

Then Yuugi heard a knock at the door. "Who is it?" Yuugi said as he brought himself back up off his bed.

"Special delivery." The voice crooned from the other side. Yuugi could almost place it, but it wasn't until he opened the door that he realized who it was.

"Ms. Wong?"

"Please Yuugi, call me Vivian."

[Scribbler]

She held out something. He blinked, not recognising what it was for a moment. “Uh, thank you?”

She clearly realised he was faking his gratitude and uncovered the bowl. “Just a little something I whipped up to say ‘welcome to the school’.” Steaming rice studded with bits of pink meat and vegetables wafted delectable smells at him.

Yuugi found himself leaning forward a little to inhale the scent. His mouth flooded with saliva and he wiped self-consciously at the corner of his mouth. “That’s very, uh, kind of you Miss Wong, but I don’t think–”

“Vivian,” she corrected huskily, taking a step forward. Something about her stance and tone made anxiety swirl in his stomach, instantly killing his appetite. “You like it? I always said the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

The anxiety rushed through his veins, increasing his pulse to pound in his ears. “I don’t think this is really appropriate… ” He tried to shut the door but she stuck her foot in the way and forced it open again. “Miss Wong!”

“Vivian!”

“That’s enough of that.” A hand landed on the woman’s shoulder. She actually snarled and a wisp of smoke came out of her nostrils. “Don’t you try that with me, Viv. Leave the poor little guy alone.” Mai appeared around the side of Yuugi’s door. “Sorry, Yuugi. She gets like this when her dragon side gets close to its mating season.”

Yuugi blinked myopically. “Mating … season?”

“Uh-huh. Practically have to lock her away in a cage when the real thing hits. This is just a precursor. I think she transformed today, which makes it harder to control, plus you’re new and dragons are crazy about new things and shiny stuff.” She nodded at the pendant rested against his chest. “Which makes you a double whammy.”

“Oh.” Yuugi back away.

“She’s bunking in my room tonight, so I’ll make sure she doesn’t bother you again. C’mon, Viv.”

“No!” More smoke curled into the air from Miss Wong’s nose.

“Don’t make me lay a sleep grenade in your head, sweetie. Come ON.” She wrenched on the other woman’s shoulder in a way Yuugi would never have had the courage to do with someone whose insides were apparently on fire. “Goodnight, Yuugi.”

“Uh … goodnight.” He shut the door backed away from it as if it might suddenly set alight. When it didn’t he retreated to the bed and flopped down on it. “This school is CRAZY.”

[cypsiman2]

"Anzu, are you in there?" Anzu heard the knock at the door, checked that she had her nightgown on, and opened it.

"Rebecca?" Anzu looked down at the small American girl in mild surprise.

"Ah, good, you are here."

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?"

"Because our dear Vivian Wong's dragon side is nearing its mating season."

"Why would that...Yuugi!" Anzu was about to step out of her room when she was checked by Rebecca.

"Miss Kujaku is already dealing with her as we speak; I just wanted to be sure that you did nothing foolish one way or another."

"What do you mean 'one way or another'?" Anzu said, distinctly feeling that she'd just been slighted.

"I was concerned that you might follow in her footsteps."

"...Well as you can see, I haven't." Anzu could the vein in her forehead.

"And that's very good. Have a pleasant sleep Anzu." Rebecca closed the door on Anzu, leaving her to seethe all by herself.