[The Toadstool Cluster] No Cats Allowed! (Solo)

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on May 15th, 2012, 5:25 pm

57th Day of Spring, 512 AV

Minerva wandered the halls of the University, examining the architecture. This place was huge! She loved it. She could practically be content to just spend the rest of the semester studying the building alone. There were so many halls, classrooms, labs, and offices that it almost felt like she was inside a small city.

Of course, she also ended up horribly lost.

She opened up a window, and climbed up in it, kneeling on the lower sill so she could peer outside. She looked up and down the exterior of the building, trying to figure out where she was. She thought she was still in the East Wing. But she wasn't sure. She also wasn't quite sure if she was supposed to be in the East Wing. She pulled out the registration paper she'd been given, re-reading today's class assignment: Professor Anasella, Office 114, East Wing, Entrance to Toadstool Cluster.

What the hell was 'Toadstool Cluster'?

She looked around outside, and spotted something strange. A collection of toadstool-shaped contraptions that she recognized as vents. Archimaneus had had a similar set on the roof of his lab. That must be where she needed to go.

She looked down. She was on the second floor. Lovely. She looked down the length of the building, then leaned back into the hall, looking for a staircase down. There wasn't one in sight, and she didn't expect she'd be able to find one without getting lost again.

So she decided to just climb down.

The outside of the building was a classical structure, with plenty of stone carved structures for her to use as footholds. She twisted around on the window sill, and started lowering herself down. She grunted with exertion as her legs dangled, and right around the time she stopped to think that maybe this was a bad idea, she slipped.

Squealing, she grabbed the sill and kicked her legs out, finding precarious footing on a narrow ledge. She looked down, which was a bad idea. It was only about ten or fifteen feet, but the fall looked a LOT further than that. Grunting with strain, she held herself firmly in place, barely balanced on the ledge.

Well, she thought, down looks easier than back up? Her odds of making it back up to the window were slim.

She looked around, and saw a stone gargoyle nearby. "Oy," she called out to it, "ya alive?" She got no response. She reached out with her foot and nudged it. "Ya move?" Still no response. She shrugged. It would have been rude to climb on it if it was alive.

She leaned forward, reaching one hand out to it as she held onto the window sill with the other. She managed to get a grip around the horn, then pulled herself over, half climbing half falling onto the gargoyle.

She wrapped her arms around it and clung. This seemed like a good place to just wait for awhile.

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on May 15th, 2012, 5:55 pm

Okay, Minerva thought, can't 'ang 'round 'ere all day...

Her arms were getting a bit tired from clinging to the gargoyle. She only had another... ten feet to go. She should bring rope to school next time.

She hugged her arms around the gargoyle, sliding down it until her arms were wrapped around its waist. Her feet were dangling in open air now. She'd made about another two feet worth of progress. She looked down... With her arms stretched above her head, she hung down far enough that she was only about six feet off the ground... and her feet were even closer to the ground than that. Maybe she could just let go...

She decided against it, and tried to climb further. She shifted her grip and grabbed the gargoyle's leg. Then her other hand reached around and grabbed the gargoyle's...

Woah! Why would someone carve THAT on a wall decoration!?

Startled, she lost her grip and slipped, falling the last few feet. She landed on her rump hard, crying out in pain. Whimpering, she rolled over on her side, rubbing her sore bottom. She'd be feeling that bruise tomorrow...

Slowly she pushed to her feet, glancing back up at the window she'd climbed down from. She had an audience. Three students were leaning out the window, staring at her. She shook a fist at them. "Oy!" she shouted. "Ya coulda 'elped!" They laughed and headed off.

Tock turned towards the vents, and started heading towards them, limping slightly from the soreness in her rear.

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on May 15th, 2012, 6:19 pm

She approached the vents, leaning over to peer at them. They were too narrow to fit down... but there had to be some way to find her teacher's office from here. Maybe there was a secret entrance or something? She stepped closer, and then felt something grip her belt from behind and yank her back.

"OW!" she cried out, stumbling and falling on her already sore behind. Whimpering, she rubbed at the sore spot, peering up at the offending person standing above her. "Oy, whazza big idea!?" she asked.

The woman above her was a tall, dark-skinned beauty. Her ebony skin was flawless, and her long black hair hung about her shoulders in tight curls. She was wearing a beautiful violet dress and exotic jewelry that looked like it must have come from someplace far off; it didn't have the typical seashell and ocean-themed look she'd seen around most of Zeltiva. She crossed her arms beneath her full breasts, tapping a foot on the ground.

"Just what do you think you're doing out here?" the woman asked.

Tock struggled to her feet, brushing herself off. She leaned up towards the taller woman and said, "Oy! I's LOOKIN' fer my class, 'fore ya interrupted me! Some people!" She turned away, and the woman grabbed her arm, turning her back.

"The exhaust vents are off-limits for students," she said, pointing to a nearby sign that said just that. Tock hadn't noticed it; she tended to ignore warning signs, since they didn't apply to her. "The excess Djed being expelled here could cause some... serious medical conditions. There's a reason why there are NO doors or stairwells leading into this courtyard..."

Tock looked around. The woman was right... there wasn't any way to get down here. Except by climbing, of course. Scratching her head, she asked the woman, "'En 'ow'd ya get 'ere?"

The woman stared at her for a moment, then nodded, a dawning look on her face. "Ahh," she said, "you must be Miss Zipporah."

Tock frowned. She'd only been on campus for five days... how did this woman know who she was? "Aye," she replied, "whazzit to ya?"

The woman smirked. "I'm Professor Anasella," she replied. "I heard about you. Made quite a mess of the Registration Office, and dear Beadle speaks quite fondly of you." Tock grinned, glad that her Gadgeteering professor was speaking well of her. "He has a tendency to like the exuberant ones."

"Oy, 'anks, mate!" Tock said, smiling wide. The Professor rolled her eyes.

"Professor Claudia, on the other hand," Professor Anasella continued, "tells me you were... working wood in her classroom."

Tock cringed. Professor Claudia made her uncomfortable. The Animation professor had confiscated Tock's project, just because she was working during class! She frowned at Anasella, not sure now what to make of her. "Izzat a problem?" she asked.

The Professor looked her over, taking in her disheveled clothing, uncombed hair, and the grease stains dotting her here and there. She was quite a clashing image compared to the poised, beautiful woman before her. "Come with me," the Professor replied.

"Oy, where's we goin'?" Tock asked, falling into step behind her as the woman walked off to the side. They were heading for a stand of shrubberies, though Tock couldn't imagine what was so interesting over there.

"You were supposed to be in my office half an hour ago," Anasella replied without looking back at her. Tock frowned and scratched her head. She hadn't been paying attention to the time. "I don't prefer tardiness, Miss Zipporah."

Anasella stepped around the shrubs, and Tock saw there was a door concealed behind them. The shrubs had been arranged artistically to conceal it. "Oy, izzat yer office?" she asked. "'Ow the bloody 'ell was I supposed ta find it!"

Anasella sighed and shook her head, opening the door. "My office is inside," she said, gesturing for Tock to follow. "This is the door the maintenance personnel use when they need to perform repairs on the exhaust vents." She led Tock through a short hall and around a few twists and turns, until they finally arrived at Anasella's office.

The office was lavishly decorated with silks and sheer curtains hanging around the walls. A variety of statues and artistic items were set out on display, most of them made from wood or woven wicker. The chairs were plush, which Minerva found quite nice, considering her soreness. She plopped down in one of the chairs, and looked up to see Anasella staring at her, arms crossed.

"What?" Minerva asked, raising her hands on confusion.

Anasella sighed and took the other chair, carefully arranging her skirts. "I see no one ever taught you proper etiquette," she said. "For your reference, students are expected to wait until an instructor asks them to sit before doing so. You also should not speak until spoken to, and always strive to be on time."

Tock stared at the woman like she was insane. After a long moment, Anasella added, "We'll save discussions of proper ladylike behavior for another time."

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on May 15th, 2012, 7:11 pm

Minerva bounced in her seat a bit, pressing her hands against her knees. She always had trouble when she couldn't do anything with her hands, but the teacher had already made it clear that building something in her office was not acceptable.

"So, we gonna go build somethin'?" she asked.

The Professor offered her a patient smile. "Soon," she said. "But first I must come to know you better. I appreciate passion," Tock smiled as she heard that, "but I don't stand for a lack of proper decorum, especially in the lab." Tock's smile vanished, and she stopped bouncing in her seat. She wasn't even entirely sure what 'decorum' meant, but somehow she knew it wasn't something she had.

"Well, I done been makin' Magecraft stuff 'fore," she said. "I done worked for a wizard fer a good year and a 'alf, I did! So's as I knows what I's doin', aye?"

Anasella watched her carefully, steepling her fingers before her. "Tell me," she said, "what methods did you use in your apprenticeship?" There were a variety of methods that could be used, from Resonant Harmonics to Djed Cycling. Each had its advantages and flaws, but a great deal depended on the capabilities of the user.

"'Ammerin'," Tock replied simply. It was the only method she knew.

Anasella smirked and shook her head. "How crude," she said. "Here, we can teach you much more sophisticated--"

"Sophisticated?" Tock asked, frowning. "Oy, ain't nothin' more sophisticated 'an a good 'ammerin'!" She was actually insulted that the woman thought otherwise.

Anasella sighed, and gave a small shake of her head. "No, my dear," she said. "The Djed within a Magecrafted item needs to be guided and shaped in a particular way. A hammer..."

"Oy, a 'ammer done be MADE fer 'at!" Tock interrupted again, drawing a sharp look from the teacher.

"No," Anasella replied, a bit of impatience starting to seep into her melodic voice. "Hammers are crude instruments, pounding the Djed into the item by sheer force. A more... artistic method, such as Resonant Harmonics, or Glyph Brushing, creates a far more controlled, stable, and predictable effect."

Tock snorted, crossing her arms.

"You... disagree?" Anasella asked, with a touch of amusement in her voice.

"Aye," Tock replied. "A 'ammer ain't no 'crude instrument', aye? Show me a nice sabre made o' Isurian steel, o' 'at sun ya got on yer wall," she nodded towards a metal sigil of an eye with a burning sun for its pupil, which unknown to Tock was the symbol of the Goddess Syna, "an' ya can't what tells me a 'ammer ain't no artist's tool."

Anasella looked up at the sigil, which was the work of a master blacksmith and artisan. An amused smile touched her lips. "The difference," she said, "is that such careful use of a hammer is the trade of a blacksmith, not a Magecrafter."

"Oy, whatcha 'ink, I carry 'is around fer show?" Tock asked, pulling the hammer off her belt and waving it towards the woman.

Anasella considered the hammer, her dark eyes studying it for a long moment. "Interesting," she said. "You've experience blacksmithing?"

"Aye," Tock replied. "'Course I do!"

Anasella steepled her fingers again and tapped them against her lips, lost in thought for a long moment. "I see," she said. "I don't believe we've ever had a student trained in both blacksmithing and Magecrafting before. Most wizards are... not inclined towards the more... physical trades of crafting."

Tock snorted, shoving her hammer back in the loop on her belt. "Oy, ya mean 'ey's a buncha prissy soft-'anded wannabe's." This remark drew an arched eyebrow from the Professor, followed by a soft, musical laugh.

"I can see you're going to be quite an interesting student," she said.

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on May 15th, 2012, 7:22 pm

They chatted for a short while longer, before the Professor assigned Tock some readings and an essay for the night. Tock protested the essay, but arguing ended up proving pointless. Then, finally, they headed down to the lab.

"For today," Anasella said as she led Tock through the underground corridor that lead to the Toadstool Cluster proper, "we're finishing up a project of mine. Professors of Magecraft in the University create items as part of our contract. You'll be my Apprentice in these tasks for the rest of the semester."

Tock nodded. "Aye," she said. "Oy, ya don't 'ave no cats down 'ere, aye? Bloke what told me ta enroll 'ere said no cats."

Anasella stopped before the heavy door that led to the labs. "Cats?" she asked, frowning in confusion. "Why would we have cats in the lab?"

"Oy, 'at's what I said!" Tock replied, throwing her arms up in the air. "Ain't no need what fer ta 'ave a cat 'round a lab like 'at! An' 'en I done got in trouble when it got sick! Ain't 'at unfair!?"

Anasella paused, trying to wrap her head around what Tock had just said. "Your... previous instructor had a cat?" she asked.

Tock nodded. "Aye," she said, "an' 'e done kicked me out over 'at dang cat! But ya ain't got none 'ere, right?" She wore a hopeful look.

Anasella shook her head. "No," she said, "there are no cats allowed in the Magecraft labs."

Tock grinned and clapped her hands. "Oy, good!" she said. "'At means I can't done get expelled!" Anasella just watched her for a moment, then shook her head, before leading her inside. She led Tock through the central room to one of the doors leading off the pentagram-shaped lab area, marked with a number five.

"This is MCL5," she said, "where you and I will be working through the semester. I employ Glyph Brushing, so the current project will be completed in that manner. However..." she turned a curious gaze on Tock, "I am... interested in trying out this supposedly artistic hammering method you speak of. I believe for the next project, we will attempt that."

Tock grinned. Making stuff with a hammer instead of a dumb old paint brush sounded like a LOT more fun!

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on May 15th, 2012, 7:38 pm

"Have you ever done any painting?" Anasella asked.

Tock nodded. "Aye... a bit," she said. "On the job. 'Ouses an' stuff, mostly."

Anasella nodded, and retrieved a small painter's brush. There were a series of Glyphs etched around the handle. "Then the process will be quite simple, if you understand the basic principles. You have an understanding of Djed pathways?" she asked, gesturing Tock over to a lens that was mounted to a stand near the pedestal.

"Aye," Tock replied, leaning down to look through the lens. If she had studied Auristics at all, she wouldn't need it, as she would be able to simply study the creation's aura on her own. The lens helped someone with no personal magic to see the flow of Djed through the object, which in this case was a small statuette of an oak tree, about two feet tall.

"Djed flows in certain patterns an' paths," Tock said, quoting what she'd learned in her previous apprenticeship. "If'n ya alter the flows, ya alter the item. 'Is's..." she frowned looking over the flows on the sculpture, "color change? Whazzis, jus' some artsy fartsy magic sculpture o' somethin'?" She glared at the sculpture with disdain.

"Indeed," Anasella said, stepping over so she could point a few things out to her student. "Among the wealthier citizens, such a thing fetches quite a price."

Tock snorted. "Useless," she said.

"Art," Anasella replied, holding up a finger, "is never useless." Tock shrugged, and went back to studying the Djed flows through the lens. "Tell me more about the flows," she said, wanting to see more of what her student already knew.

"Subtle alteration of the surface structure," Tock replied blandly. "What makes 'er reflect light different. An' ya got..." she frowned studying the flows for a moment. She was quite experienced, but still a novice nonetheless. "empathic reading? Oy, what good's 'at gonna do 'er?" Empathic reading was an aspect of a Magecrafted items Intellectual awareness, which allowed it to sense a person's emotions.

"Why don't you tell me," Anasella replied. Tock rolled her eyes. She hated it when her teachers wanted to test her.

She thought about it for a moment, watching through the lens how the Djed flows moved. The flows of the empathic reading dominated the structural alterations. That meant the emotion reading came first, and the color change second. "Oy, whazzit, changed colors if'n yer sad o' somethin'?" she asked.

Anasella nodded, handing Tock the glyphed brush. "Indeed," she said. "The leaves of the tree will change color to reflect the moods of those in the room. A purely aesthetic change, to be sure, but one that can be most appealing to a collector."

Tock shrugged. It seemed like a waste, but if that's what rich folk wanted to spend their money on...

She took the brush and asked, "Oy, now what? I ain't done 'er 'is way 'fore."

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on May 15th, 2012, 7:48 pm

"Have you any experience with Glyphing?" Anasella asked. Tock shook her head. She only had a vague idea what Glyphing was. "Well, these glyphs," she indicated the etchings on the brush handle, "control the Djed flow. They will alter the path of the sculpture's Djed while you brush. There is only one step left to complete this project, so you'll be finishing it under my supervision."

They stepped up to the pedestal, and Anasella indicated a supply of paints on the side. "These have been magically treated," she explained, "with a combination of Glyphing and Philtering. I'll instruct you in their creation another time. For now, you merely need to know that each paint has a certain emotion tied to it. Perhaps it is fitting that the final one I need to add is passion. I expect you have no shortage of that."

Tock smirked, dunking the brush in the red paint that Anasella opened for her. "Careful strokes," she instructed. "And you must believe in what you are doing. Don't consider it a 'useless' project. It is your creation. Put your heart into it."

Tock nodded. Taking pride in a project was second nature to her. She began drawing the brush across the leaves of the sculpture, watching through the lens as the Djed flow was altered. Passion, in this case, came quite easy to her. It swelled up in her heart when she saw the alterations to the magic, and knew that she was the one doing it.

She worked for several hours, carefully applying the paint, with Anasella offering corrections here and there on her technique. The paint faded away after each stroke, drawn into the sculpture, leaving only grey metal behind. Yet when viewed through the magical lens, Tock could see the effect she was having on it. Little by little, the magic was sculpted and changed, each stroke of the magically treated brush and paint bringing it closer to completion.

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on May 15th, 2012, 7:53 pm

When she was done, Tock handed the brush back to her Professor, and Anasella put some finishing touches on it. Then the Professor nodded in satisfaction, and said, "Now, retrieve the... tongs, yes." Tock already had them in her hands. She knew this part. The first thing Archimaneus had taught her was the cooling process.

She carefully lifted the sculpture with the tongs, carrying it over to the barrel that contained the carefully treated water. She dunked it in, and multi-colored smoke spewed forth, drawn upwards into the vents that expelled it above, in the courtyard Tock had climbed into earlier. She leaned back, waving her hand in front of her face and coughing slightly, waiting for it to clear. Eventually the colorful smoke faded to mere wisps of Djed, and then they were gone.

She pulled the cooled sculpture out of the water and set it on the table. Almost immediately, it started to glow with a light yellowish white. It almost looked like sunlight.

"Whazzat mean?" Tock asked. She knew the sculpture was designed to respond to emotions, but she didn't know which color was which.

Anasella smiled at her and said, "That is 'pride'."

by **Cascade** on May 20th, 2012, 7:27 am

Adventurer's Loot

Minerva's Loot :

The picture you painted (lol) in my mind of the whole scene was interesting. That was a creative take on Magecraft, and I look forward to seeing what else you can come up with. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to PM me!