Class the First

[Torin DeInnes]

Torin sat at the teacher's desk, facing the door and the students' desks, humming idly as he awaited the arrival of his pupils. All the items previously on the desk had been removed and replaced with his feet as he leaned back in his chair. He was truly not one for unecessary formality.

The wall behind him was covered almost fully by a pure white surface with writing upon it, being projected from who-knows-where. This was AofT's answer to the chalkboard. Well actually, it was the answer to chalkboards, overhead projectors, and 'smart-boards' too. A useful tool, to say the least.

The words on the board were as follows:

Lesson Plan for Today:

1) Sit down.
Should this first instruction prove to be too hard to follow, you are hereby excused from this class until you have been treated by a certified Restorer.

2) Procure a device for recording information.
That's 'get out a pencil and paper, a laptop, or something' for those of your less linguistically inclined. If you've nothing to write with, I can supply you with pen and paper, but really, coming prepared should not be a problem.

3) Await further instruction.
Pretty self-explanatory.

Torin opened up a game of chess on the device that controlled the boards, silently praising whomever is was that had put it on there. It appeared in a small, inconspicuous area of the board, off in a corner, as he played it. Chess was always a good diversion from boredom in his mind, and he enjoyed the challenge of outwitting the programs designed with only chess in mind. What could be more fun than beating someone (or something) at its own game?

[Athor]

Athor seemed to be the first one to arrive. He set down his books on a desk near the front and stared at the boardthing in amazement. He examined the entire board, before he turned his attention to his surroundings and noticed that a trickle of people started to float in. He read the words on the board for the first time and started to laugh out loud, getting unwanted attention from some of the older students. To avert his embarresment, his eyes caught sight of the minuature chess game. He exitedly examined every move, his pencil tapping his paper. Athor could not for the life of him determine which side was the computer, as every move was masterful.

[umi]

Counter-Maneuvres was one of Umi's favourite classes. Other than perhaps Mixed Martial Arts, he enjoyed no other class nearly as much. Learning how to halt or at least interfere with the attacks of others, or heal their effects, was quite appealing to his personality. Which was why he was sure to show up on time and get a good seat.

He was more than a little surprised to see the Chancellor of TI, a well known and important man, teaching the class, though. Umi thought the man would have far more important issues to attend to, but he shrugged off the thought. Who was he to pretend to know what it was the Chancellor did and did not do? Maybe he just taught classes sometimes for fun.

He too followed the chess game for a short time, quite impressed with it as well. He was a smart kid, as most Lycans were, and he was great at anticipating the actions of others, which led to a high degree of skill in things such as chess and martial arts. There were still concepts that escaped him, however, such as machines. He could work them, but try and explain the concepts behind them and you'd lose him.

This was why, as he read the instructions, he pulled out a simple notepad and a pencil, and not any of the fancy devices some students were keen on.

[Kirien Melantha]

Counter-Maneuvers. How boring could that be?

Kirien shuffled into the class, looking rather unenthused. Learning defensive magic wasn't her cup of tea, but she supposed it would do to learn some kinds of shield spells, just so she could kick ass more efficiently.

She dropped her messenger bag on the floor by the closest desk she found, as her before-class routine dictated, and sat down. Her seat happened to be near Athor, whom she did not recognize, but she rarely paid the other students any mind, anyway.

When her gaze moved finally to the front of the room, she already had a pencil and notebook out, so the slightly-entertaining directions on the board didn't apply to her. Unlike some students, she wasn't daft enough to go to class unprepared. The teacher, on the other hand, caught her interest. She knew who he was, anyone would have. Mister-Really-Important-Chancellor. It seemed unusual that he would be teaching a class at their school. Perhaps he was just lost?

Maybe this class is worth going to, after all...if this guy actually kicks as much ass as people say he does!

[Mattie Beckett (AWAY)]

Mattie really wasn't all that big on class in general. They tended to be boring affairs with dry, crusted old people lecturing about stuff they didn't really know all that well anyway. Still, rumor had it that the Academy was supposed to be better, and that this particular instruction was worth going to.

She nearly burst into class, her shoulder bag bouncing against her side. She quickly read the instructions, muttering them under her breath. Her curiosity satisfied, she edged over to a desk, and unzipped her bag. Soon enough, a shiny laptop was out, and being turned on.

Hell, if your parents had the money to blow...

[Athor]

Finally tearing his attention away from the riveting chess game, he paid attention to his surroundings. He noted the girl next to him, ad figured he would have to get rid of his nervousness sooner or later. He was unsure of the girl's race, only that she didn't appear to be elven. "Hey, I'm Athor." A good way to start...

[Demetri Montroli]

Demetri heistantly walked into the room as he carried a suitcase liked backpack as it was hard for him to wear a backpack due to his wings. He looked around the room as there were already students in the room. He had taken off his hat as he did during school out of respect for his teacher. His white hair was now exposed to the world, not that he cared he jsut liked to wear his hat. He looked at the chairs with a small sigh. They were all to low for him, he was only three feet tall and he wouldn't be able to function if he sat in a chair like that. He would have to stand all class if he used one of these chairs...

[Torin DeInnes]

The chess game blinked a momentary checkmate notification in Torin's favour before he abruptly closed it. He removed his feet from his desk for the sake of better visibility of his students and smiled pleasantly at them all.

"Welcome to class," he announced, sounding excited but not too excited. It was class, after all.

He spotted Demi standing up, glanced at his instructions, looked back to Demi, glanced at his instructions once more, and turned to Demi with a puzzled look on his face. "Do you need a Restorer?" he asked, the very image of concern. The facade did not last long, however, and he was quick to bring about another smile to his face.

"Only kidding. Retrieve!"

He summoned a smaller desk from another classroom, seeing as his apparently had no spares. Which was odd. AofT was supposed to be 100% multi-race-compatible, just as all other public institutions were. There must have been a class somewhere full of pixies to use up all the chairs like that...

He motioned to the new desk and chair. "Have a seat please, we're about to begin." He turned to the rest of the class, addressing everyone now. "As I'm sure you've all noticed, I am not your regular CM teacher. Ms Crumbotumski recently retired, leaving the position sort of... floating. And since no person in their right mind wants to teach you hellions, they sent in the batty guy until they find someone suitably unstable."

He smiled amiably, glancing at each of the students in turn.

"So, I will need all your names and Levels, that I may teach you properly. Or I could guess," he said, scratching at his chin. "Naw, waste of time. You there, strong silent type, let's hear it."

His finger gestured to Kirien for half a second, no longer. Pointing is rude, after all. And in the world of Thaumaturgy International, potentially pretty perilous. Besides, the girl didn't look to happy to see be here in the first place.

[Demetri Montroli]

Demetri looked up to the person as he was spoken to. A restorer!? Why would he? He heard the man say he was just kidding. He nodded lightly as he saw the desk."Thank you very much..." He said sweetly in a soft tone as he sat down. He was use to these small desk they didn't bother him anymore. He used to not like how he would be sitting in them as everyone else's desk were higher then his.. he had grew out of that and was use to it now...

[Kirien Melantha]

Kirien blinked at the strange man. Sent in the batty guy until they find someone suitably...unstable? He's crazy, all right! How did he ever get to be Chancellor? He's supposed to be all powerful and stuff!

"Strong silent type?" She inquired, looking puzzled. She even went as far as to glance behind her. Nope, just more stupid people back there. "Um, I'm Kirien Melantha. Level 4."

If he points at me again I'll bite his hand off! Teehee.

[Mattie Beckett (AWAY)]

Mattie's eyes glazed over, as they usually did upon her arrival to anything resembling a class. She did notice the poor pixie stumbling his way into class. More because he was cute, in that little brother sort of way, than anything else.

When the man started talking, Mattie looked around the room. There didn't seem to be all that many students... still, it wasn't her place to mention that.

Her eyes went to Kierien as the other girl spoke. Hmm... she looked far stronger than Mattie, and was only one level above her. Odd... wait, wasn't that the girl from the dormitories?

"Name's Mattie Beckett," she stated as soon as Kierien finished, figuring it would be stupid to waste time, "I'm third level and an Aries."

[umi]

Umi had been listening raptly to what the teacher said, writing it on his notepad in his flowing script. He smiled to himself at the joke the teacher said, but the rest of the class seemed to have not got it so he didn't allow himself to laugh alone. The majority of the speech didn't seem relevant, but he wrote it down anyway. The boy kept immaculate notes.

He even went as far as to write down the names and levels of the two that had responded.

• Kirien Melantha, Level 4, in denial about being strong and silent?
  
• Mattie Beckett, Level 3, Aries (Is she looking for a date?), Possibly new?

"My name is Umitaheno Kai. I am in Level 3 as well," he said, figuring he might as well answer before asked.

[Athor]

Following suit, Athor looked up. He was intimidated to be surrounded by people who were so much more advanced than him. "Er... A.. Athor. Yes, Athor Apex. Level one."

[Torin DeInnes]

(My apologies for the extensive waiting period. It's easy to get caught up with other things and forget stuff like this >_<)

"Righto! And you are, sir?" he asked kindly, looking at the pixie with the previous lack of seating.

Knowing the levels of all the students wasn't exactly necessary, but he liked to know where exactly he was to be directing his lessons instead of just spouting nonsense at whatever person happened to be standing directly in front of him.

"The rest of you, join up with the others in your Level. Don't worry if you're by yourself, it makes very little difference for this lesson."

[Demetri Montroli]

"Oh.. my apologizes.." He said as he looked to the man."My name is Demetri Montroli, I am a level three." Demetri said with a small smile. His name was usually the first thing he told people, but he had bee distracted by the seating issue he must have forgotten. He looked at some of the other students, how was he supposed to know who was a level three. He noticed that Umi was there, he smiled to himself slightly as he looked away, he was glad that he was in his class. He was the only person who he really knew around here....