fandomhighdorms | Magical Reserve - Preserve Next to the Cabins, Wednesday

A nice selection of baked goods (from J, GoB, fear not) and coffee were set out.

Tony had a cup of coffee in his left hand and a few muffin crumbs remained on his t-shirt when he stepped up to address the group. "Hey," he said. "Welcome to Magic Reserves. We're here to learn to work together using our abilities to defend the island. Even if you don't call what you do 'magic', you're welcome to practice with us." He glanced over at his fellow magic reserve leaders. "I think we're going to start with introductions, which I know we're doing like a million times this week, but you gotta start somewhere. My name's Tony. I'm from Vancouver in modern day Canada and I'm a wizard."

Karla, armed with a coffee in one hand and a pastry in the other, stepped forward and waved. "Kiss kiss," she said with a grin. "I'm Karla. I'm from the Territory of Glacia in the Realm of Kaeleer--it's okay that none of you have heard of it--and I'm a witch. That means I can use Craft for a lot of things, but I'm also a Healer and a Black Widow. I can explain what that means later, but rest assured, I will not murder you."

She took a sip of her coffee. "Probably."

Merlin smiled, shaking his head at her. "I'm Merlin. I'm from Camelot and--rather far back in the past it would seem. Though I assure you I'm getting rather good at cellular telephones!"

If you considered poorly spelled messages and smileys to be the height of modernization. Hey, Earl Grey tea was still something wild and new for the boy.

"I'm a wizard, like Tony. We hope you all find this to be a place where you can work on your abilities in safety, with the help of your friends and classmates. We do have two other groups, the fighters--who met yesterday--and the support--who meet on Friday. You may wish to visit them as well to see if your talents apply for their purposes as well."

Karla looked at Merlin and smiled, nodding in agreement. "He's exactly right. There's no rule limiting the number of reserves you can join--I'm in all three! We all work together, especially in times of crisis, and if you have the ability and the desire to help in more than one group, then we're not going to hold you back."

Once the introductions were over, Karla stepped forward with a few more things to say. "Now that the ice has been melted--" oh, Karla "--let's talk about powers. First of all, we want to know what you'd like to see us focus on during some of our meetings. Sure, we're the leaders, but we wouldn't have a reserve without you. So we'd like your input. We're not going to do much good trying to defend the island if we accidentally ignore the way certain people's powers work. So, feedback from you is always appreciated and if you have some ideas about topics you'd like to see us cover, now's a great time to share them."

She let them mull that over for a few minutes then continued. "Now, I come from a world where almost everyone has some Craft." Not entirely accurate, but it would do since she had no desire to get into a discussion about the politics of Kaeleer. "But that isn't true for everyone. Some people come from worlds where magic isn't recognized. Others come from worlds where magic is feared and reviled. And yet still others come from places where it just isn't understood and anyone with powers is marked as 'different' or 'outsiders.' We're all lucky to be here in a school where none of those are true, but there are people here--with powers and without--who may have a hard time transitioning to a place where not only is magic recognized, but appreciated!"

"That's where we come to our second duty. Not only are we here to help protect the island, but we're also here to teach. We teach one another to become stronger, more comfortable, and more innovative with our powers, and we teach others come to terms that yes, we have powers, which gives us a certain amount of responsibility, but it doesn't mean we need to be doormats about it! We deserve the same amount of respect they'd give anyone else and they have to learn to deal with that, because we're not going anywhere!"

Nodding in agreement, Merlin cleared his throat before adding. "Please feel free to talk to any of us if there is ever something you need."

He was just special enough to promise for them, of course.

Tony grinned at Karla and Merlin "What they said. I'm from a place where most people don't believe in magic, so it's weird for me to even tell people I'm a wizard. But this is a place where you don't have to hide who you are. If you have questions or concerns or if you want to learn, or teach, please speak up. And... if I keep talking, we may end up singing Kumbaya, so I'll shut up and open the floor for general discussion."

Karla shuddered. "Anything to avoid group-singing," she laughed. People, get talking!

[Co-written with the most excellent

glacial_witch and

bigdamndestiny.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"In my home, I was mistrusted because of what I am," Raven said quietly. Not so much because of her powers, but because of her father. "I was almost killed moments after my birth."

//World that hates and fears yer,// Jono intoned, his voice low and his eyes turning toward the ground. //I've got a bit of an idea what that's like, gel.//

It helped that he was a bit of an outcast even among outcasts, in that regard. He hadn't been aware he was a mutant for long yet, but it tended to hit doubly hard when even the other freaks thought that you were terrifying.

"This place is different," Raven said, projecting reassurance. "I would not say everyone is kind and generous, but most are very accepting about other's differences. I know that does not make the unpleasantness of others go away, but it does make it easier to bear, I think."

//It makes it confusing, is what it makes it,// Jonothon decided as he tucked his hands into his pockets. //When so many people are absolutely fine with it, it's that much more jarring to stumble across someone who feels the need to freak the bloody hell out. Easier to not get too comfortable, with things like that.//

Jono logic was a bit backwards, yes.

"I think it means you should take comfort where you can," Raven said, distressed to hear the bitterness of his words in her head. She hated to see someone so unhappy. "It eases the sting of those that reject you to know that there are those who accept you for who you are."

//They've got to see past the 'what' in order to get around to the 'who' bit,// Jonothon intoned darkly. //Not everybody can brush off a monster when they see one, gel.//

His issues! He would show you them!

Raven was much like a magazine rack. She lived to collect your issues.

"I have seen monsters, Jonothon," Raven said softly, fighting back memories of the vampire versions of Max and Tahiri and Liir. "You are no monster. Anyone who thinks that is wrong."

//Being wrong or right never changed the way most people looked at it before, gel.// At this rate, she'd have full volumes of the Starsmore special edition back-issues in no time, really. //People fear what isn't like them. I'm not going to be the one who by some miracle manages to change that.//

She nodded. "That is an unfortunate truth," she said. "Even with all my power I could not purge the world of its fear of the unknown and different or its prejudices. But Fandom is different, and I hope you do not withhold yourself from the peace you may find here."

//That,// Jonothon replied, heaving a mental sigh and looking up toward her again, //is going to be entirely up to Fandom, I suppose.//

Or, rather, entirely up to Fandom's ability to beat Jonothon upside the head until he could get it through his thick skull that he wasn't the strangest thing that people had seen around here.

"You will see," Raven said, giving him a small smile. And then, because pushy empath was pushy, she switched the subject so as to not be too pushy. "Have you been enjoying your classes so far?" she asked.

//Introductions and being stared at in two classes so far and rather dreading the third,// Jonothon replied. Because he was never the sort to make these things as easy as they were intended to be. //I'm coming to despise introductions.//

"That is all the first week seems to be, I fear," Raven said. "It was the same in the summer classes. People are curious. It will be better next week."

//I'm going to hold that statement to yer, gel,// Jono decided. Because, clearly, now that she'd said it would get better, she was absolutely responsible for seeing that it did.

It was an excuse to say 'I told you so' later, if people kept gawking.

She sensed the challenge behind his words. "What do I get if I am correct then?" she said teasingly.

Well, there was an interesting response, wasn't it? Jonothon raised an eyebrow faintly, considering.

//If yer right, luv, I'll let you pick.//

He knew she'd been joking, but all things considered, he was quite sure that he'd be pretty safe in that regard anyhow.

"Then if you come to the magical reserve meeting next week," Raven said, "I will ask if things have been different and claim my prize." She wasn't sure what to ask for, but she was certain she was right.

//Looks like we have us a wager, then.// Did Jono look perhaps remotely cocksure that this was going to end with him being right?

He sincerely doubted that this sort of think would happen within a week.

Magical Reserve - Preserve Next to the Cabins, Wednesday

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