Disnomia and her parents goto the Academy on the morning of Wednesday September 30th, not sure exactly when orientation is, as that important knowledge was left out of the formal acceptance letter, and they didn’t realize till last night. Disnomia is a bit anxious about the unknown time.
There they find a girl and presumably her parents looking at a notice board, presumably outside the invisible academy.
Alceste (the girl): Hey there, If you’re here for orientation too, it’s not till 16:00. We didn’t even notice they forgot to give a time too.
Patsy: Oh we’re here quite early then haha, thank you…
Alceste: Oh, I’m Alceste, and these are my moms Rose, and Isabelle.
Patsy: It’s nice to meet you all, I’m Patsy, this is my husband Albus, and our daughter Disnomia.
Alceste (To Disnomia, who is holding Patsy’s hand for comfort at the unexpected situation): It’s nice to meet you too. Hey do you wana come to the park with me and we can find some kids to play Fire Race with. It’ll be nice to have another friend in 1st year already.
Disnomia: S-Sure, other friend?
Alceste: Ya my friend Uriel lives near us, we already messaged his parents to goto the park instead, they might already be there.
Disnomia looks to her parents.
Albus: Don’t look at us, they can lead the way.
They all take the relatively short walk to the park, and see many other first years with or without other family members, who had the same idea after also coming way too early when they realized too late they weren’t given a time for orientation. Or they just wanted to play at the park.
Alceste: So have you played Fire Race before?
Disnomia: Huh- uh oh, n-no. Magics is very new to me. That is a magical game right, it sure sounds like it?
Alceste: It is. Do you mean you didn’t goto a kid’s magics school, or get taught by your parents?
Disnomia: I have not, my parents don’t know any magics either. I did make a wand to prepare though, well Alcaster rewarded me with it after testing me, and I made it work.
Alceste: I’d love to see it! Here’s my wand.
She produces a relatively straight stick from a surprisingly deep pocket, while Disnomia gets her wand from her small bag.
Alceste: Whoa, he made it all like that?
Disnomia: ha, no. It got struck by lightning.
Alceste: What and it’s fine?
Disnomia: Ya, I had already made progress in it becoming a working wand, so the lightning apparently finished it for me. The charred wood is pretty much just looks. Oh and it can do lightning magics very easily.
Alceste: Sho-
Boy: Hey Alceste! Who’s this new friend?
Alceste (while moving quickly to hug him): Uriel! This is Disnomia. Disnomia, this is my best friend Uriel!
Disnomia: Hey. It’s uh nice to meet you.
Uriel: It’s nice to meet you too, this is my uh, are you mom or dad today?
Merry: Mom today sweety, thanks for asking. It’s nice to meet you Disnomia, and your parents. I’m Uriel’s parent, Merry. Sorry your other parent Azazel couldn’t be here again Uriel.
Uriel: It’s alright mom, I understand they had work and we don’t have the money to fly all of us. Ooo wait, I see wands. I hope I didn’t miss anything cool.
Alceste: You’re just in time for Disnomia to demonstrate her special wand. She says it can do lightning magics really easy because it was struck by lightning.
Uriel: Ooo do show us.
Disnomia commanded her wand to make static electricity along itself, and proceeded to Attract Alceste’s brown hair to it, making it defy gravity as Alceste giggled, and their now fairly large party clapped, embarrassing Disnomia as she ended the spell.
Uriel: That’s cool, but all you did was an incantation?
Disnomia: No. I don’t actually know any magics yet other than how to make a wand. I can tell it to do anything with electricity. Alcaster said making elemental wands like this was destroyed and forgotten. He didn’t say why though, it seems silly to do that to me.
Uriel: Huh, Well I hope they decide to teach about this at school. I’d love to demonstrate something for you, but I also don’t know anything other than how to make a wand. Alcaster even gave me this mean test where he told me to make a working wand in only 3 hours. The big meanie really just wanted to see if I would persist at an impossible task. I ran away crying when he told me the truth.
Alceste (giggling): We ate soooo many cupcakes at my house to comfort him after that.
Uriel: Those were so good, but we ate way too many and got sick.
Disnomia: I had to do that too.
Uriel: Wait did you take his wand too? Yours is ornate, but it doesn’t look like something he would make with the wood like that.
Disnomia: Oh it just looks like this because of the whole being struck by lightning thing. I really like it, especially its cool texture. Can I see your wand?
Uriel: Of course!
Uriel produced his wand from his sleeve somehow, he must have a pocket for it in there. It has a deep ebony stain, and is set with flush square sapphires in square and rotated 45 degrees patterns.
Disnomia: Wow it’s beautiful. Wait why did you keep it? You don’t seem to like Alcaster?
Uriel: Look at it. I couldn’t pass this up. And he’s not soooo bad. He was very sorry about it. I’m still not looking forward to his class though. And no offense to yours, but maybe I don’t want an elemental wand if it will do that to it.
Disnomia: Ya he made me cry too, and apologized. The happiness of getting into the Academy kinda overwhelmed any other feelings about him.
Alceste: Who knows what other elements would do to a wand, but you could just make a second one you silly goose.
Uriel: Heh you’re right. Why don’t you show us some magics Alceste. Do the one where you launch grass into the air.
Alceste: That’s hardly that impressive, but all right.
It’s really simple, you just grab a blade of grass and hold it over your wand like this, I find the incantation easiest. So as you finish saying “low pressure” you drop the grass and a small gust of air pulls it up.
This got another round of claps, embarrassing Alceste now.
Uriel (smiling): Thanks, I love this one.
Alceste (Also smiling now): It’s lame, but thanks. let’s go play Fire Race now, it looks like some kids are already waiting for more people to play with.
As they walk over to the court they get stopped by a girl with very long wavy black hair.
Girl (pointing at Disnomia): You, I heard you talking about your wand as I walked by, show me something else it can do.
Disnomia: I, h-huh, w-wha.
Alceste: Hey leave her alone!
Girl: What I’m praising her, she sounds impressive for a first year. Impressive like me.
Uriel: Maybe start with your name, and if you’re so impressive you’ll come fill out our 4th player for Fire Race.
Girl: I’m Alma Magister. And why would I play that little game.
Alceste (with a sarcastic smirk): Ohhhh, you’re a Magister. In that case you can impress us by playing flame keeper without a ritual bracer.
Alma: I don’t need to entertain you.
Disnomia (holding her elbows): If-If you play with us, I c… can show more magics.
Alma: Fine, and I can totally do it with no ritual, you’ll see.
As they finish walking over to the court Alceste describes the game to Disnomia.
Alceste: Ok so you have 2 teams of usually 4. The goal is to get the flame keeper to the other team’s goal. They will create a fireball just above their hand, but they can only do it in their own goal.
They often wear a bracer that holds their wand to their arm, and has a ritual to create and maintain the fireball on it. Pro players just need a way to hold their wand so it touches them though, allowing them to choose attributes of the fireball to react to the other team.
Alma: Can you get on with it?
Alceste (continuing unhindered): 2 players on each team are fighters, their goal is to put out the enemy fire, usually with magics. The last player is the stoker. They protect the flame keeper, but are only allowed on their own side of the court. Bracers are less common for the other roles cause common wind, water, and sand spells aren’t as dangerous or difficult, but especially for people learning, there are bracers with rituals for the other players too, so don’t worry, rituals are very easy!
Disnomia: Ok I think I got that, um, what do you think I should do?
Alceste: Most people start with fighter, here let me get you my extra wind gauntlet. I’ll be the other fighter, and Uriel will be stoker.
Disnomia puts on the gauntlet and slips her wand inside the pocket for it. She finds it slightly uncomfortable pressed into her forearm.
Alceste: Now all you have to do is point your arm in the direction you want wind to flow, and will the ritual to run.
Disnomia does so, surprised that it worked so easily, and at the power of the wind, and knocking Alceste off balance.
Disnomia (bouncing in place): It worked, Yes! Oh and sorry.
Alceste (smiling): It’s ok, it has to be powerful, you’ll be trying to blow out a flame.
Boy (behind Disnomia): Hey there!
Alceste, Uriel: Hey
Disnomia: Ahh, oh hey.
Boy: I’m our flame keeper, Riley. To my right is Augustus, our stoker. And to my left is our fighters Martina and Joan.
Alceste: My name is Alceste, I’m a fighter, so is Disnomia here. Alma is our flame keeper, and Uriel is our stoker.
Augustus: We heard you have a new player, so we’ll go easy since this is a friendly match anyway.
Disnomia (with a small quiet voice): Thank you.
Riley: We also heard your explanation Alceste, but you missed or didn’t get to some stuff, allow me to finish for you. Disnomia, take a second to look at the court, these circles on the ground are the goals, and the line in the middle marks how far stokers, and as Alceste missed, the fighters are allowed.
Disnomia: I actually had a question about that. How does the flame keeper make it past the enemy fighters without the stoker?
Alceste: Oh that’s simple, the fighters are allowed to interrupt the enemy fighters too. You saw how that wind was enough to knock me off balance while I wasn’t ready for it. Now come on let’s play, you’ll get it as we go!
And play they did for a few hours, giving other people a chance to play too while taking breaks. They scored very few goals because Alma was in fact not good enough to play flame keeper without a ritual bracer. But the others played their roles well and didn’t lose many goals to the other teams.
Man: Alma that is enough. Your failure is embarrassing, and your pride is worse. Come back home with us now.
Alma (dejected): Yes father.
Rose: Lighten up Alphonse, she did surprisingly well for an 11 year old.
Alphonse (the man) just scowls at Rose, while Alma secretly smiles just a little.
Alphonse (to Alma): You shouldn’t have attempted that in the first place. But now your mother and I expect you to practice every day until you master playing flame keeper in Fire Race. Now let’s go.
He roughly pulls her along as they leave.
Disnomia (frowning): I feel kind of bad for her now.
Rose: Ya the Magisters have a reputation for strictness and perfection. You 3 could be good friends to her, help her out with her unreasonable parents.
Alceste: I can try, She was such a brat though.
Patsy: I don’t know any of these people very well, but I’m sure she’ll come round.
Isabelle: We can hope. Me and Rose went to the Academy when Alma’s dad Alphonse went here. He’s been a snobby insensitive perfectionist for a while.
Uriel: Is anyone else hungry?
Alceste: It’s always a 1 track mind with you, but yes. Hey Disnomia, do you and your parents wana get lunch with us?
Disnomia (bouncing on her feet): Please?
Patsy, Albus: Sure.
Disnomia jumps happily in response.
They walk to a nearby cafe, and talk a bit after ordering their food.
Albus: We couldn’t help but overhear some of you kid’s conversation. How come Uriel had to get into the Academy like Disnomia if you’re best friends? Wouldn’t he have learned magics at the same time as you?
Uriel: We actually only met fairly recently at our neighborhood park, we just became best friends really quick. I was always interested in magics, but my parents couldn’t afford a kid’s magics school, and they don’t know any magics.
Merry: He also gave up for a while after we found an awful over-complicated tutorial for making a wand. I don’t know if they were trying to be edgy or what, but me or Azazel couldn’t get it either. But you have a working wand now, right my little Uri.
Uriel (embarrassed): Yes mom. Anyway we became best friends pretty quick with Alceste getting me to try to get into the Academy, and then she and her parents helping me make my wand.
Oh our foods here…
They ate their meals, making a little small talk, or just enjoying the food, then they parted ways to wait the rest of the time they had before orientation in their motel rooms.
–
It was finally time! Disnomia and her parents made their way to the Academy once again, this time seeing a crowd of first years around Alcaster.
Disnomia (wiggling a little): I’m good from here, give me my suitcase please.
Patsy (hugging her): If you’re sure, we’re gonna watch until you get in though. I love you sweety.
Albus (also hugging her): I love you Dis, you’re gonna be great.
Disnomia: I love both of you too. Goodbye!
She walked up to the crowd.
Patsy: Hey don’t forget to call!
Disnomia looks away embarrassed, back toward Alcaster .
Alcaster (gesturing to a pile of luggage): Disnomia it’s good to see you again. Please leave your case with the others. It will be brought to your room while I give you all the tour, we just have a couple more to wait for. In the meantime do get acquainted with your classmates.
Alceste and Uriel were already here, and talking to Alma.
Disnomia: Alceste, Uriel!
They turn to look at her and wave.
Alceste: Hey Disnomia. We were just talking to Alma.
Uriel: Ya it turns out she actually had a lot of fun with us today.
Alma (breaking eye contact periodically): I can speak for myself. Er, Disnomia was it? I’m sorry If I looked rude earlier. I was trying to see if you were worth learning from... So-so I could impress my parents.
Disnomia: Thank you for apologizing. You did play with us, so I can still show you things like I promised when we have a chance. If you still want.
Alma: Yes, I do want to see. Uh please.
Alcaster (clapping for attention): Quiet everyone. It looks like you all are here, so if you all would follow me this way please, but, a phrase of warning: It may be jarring as you walk through the invisibility curse. Now on we go!
With some unsure, the 1st years walk through the barrier, until it’s our group’s turn.
Disnomia, Uriel, Alma, and Alceste walk through, and suddenly before them is the Academy of Forbidden Magics, with the enormous Monastery of the Silver Flowers nearby. But more astonishingly, like from the museum Disnomia visited: the grass is made of silk, the flowers made of silver, and the trees made of gold. Humorously among all this are normal if old lamps, and brick paths.
The Monastery is made of stone, and a monolithic building. The main building of the Academy proper is a very large wooden building with all kinds of magic banners hanging off its roofs. It also has a smaller second story, and peaked wood shingled roofs.
Alcaster: So very wonderful isn’t it?
Student1: Did you really steal the Monastery from Italy?
Alcaster: What? Oh Yes, Nazzareno and I did indeed steal the entire monastery and its contents. We teleported it here, having decided to take the long abandoned and hidden original Academy of Forbidden Magics and open it ourselves.
Student2: How did you know about the Academy if it was already here?
Alcaster: I’m sorry, that’s not a story for 1st years. I promise that will be covered in more detail later in your history class. Now I think that’s enough questions, let’s go see where the classrooms are.
Disnomia almost got left behind looking at the trees until Alceste and Uriel got her attention.
–
Next they would walk into a courtyard circle of 8 classrooms. They are more modern buildings made of brick, with ceramic shingled peaked roofs. In the middle of all them is a brilliant gold colored bronze statue of Alcaster posed with his arms out while holding his wand and his robes waving, and presumably Nazzareno in a more reserved position, looking over the Academy with a thoughtful expression. There is a brick barrier/bench around the statues.
Alcaster: It embarrasses me every time new students see these. We would not be so ostentatious to have these made, especially when this Academy would not be what it is without all the other professors. These were a gift from the Greater Magical Institute of Great Britain. It would have greatly stifled magical research here to have refused them. The other professors at the time voted to put the statues where they stand today. We even vote yearly if they should be moved...
Oh I’m rambling and loosing you, sorry. These buildings around us are the classrooms. Originally they were inside the main building, but everyone wanted larger rooms, so instead the original classrooms are now where the non-magics classes are taught. You all may take a few minutes to read the signs to orient which room is which.
Disnomia and her friends look at the signs for the classes, noting that they mark if they are for the 1st-4th or 5th-8th year students, and that they are also marked in braille.
Disnomia: Why aren’t the non-magics classes out here?
Alcaster (to everyone): Please you may call me Alcaster, this goes for all the professors unless they tell you otherwise. You can just call them their name. Now on your question Disnomia. These newer classrooms were built before the Academy taught non-magics classes. It would be a lot of work to change it, and the old rooms weren’t being used much so it worked out.
Disnomia: I’ve been calling you professor this whole time, you could have said something.
Alcaster: Oh you were, weren’t you. I must have been too excited and not noticed. Now if there aren’t more questions we have a schedule to keep...
–
Alcaster: Now this here is the sports field, which you can see is setup for multiple sports, including magical ones of course. This also doubles as the theater. Magics make sound carry when the stage is setup, and at all times keep weather from bothering the stage, field, or the stands.
–
Alcaster: Please familiarize yourselves with the locations of the 8 non-magics classrooms, and do your best to remember to path we took through the building to get to this corridor. But don’t fret as the signs we used to get here tonight will remain of course.
–
Alcaster: For my favorite part! We shall have dinner, and you can meet some of the other professors briefly. It would be a long night indeed if every one of you said hi to all of them haha.
...After our group waited in line and got their food.
Disnomia: Alright, does everyone have their food?
Alma, Alceste, Uriel: Yep.
Disnomia: Good, I’d like to introduce you all to the other professor I’ve already met.
They walk over to Ashen.
Disnomia: Hello, it’s nice to see you again Professor Ashen, er sorry is just Ashen fine? These are my friends, Uriel, Alceste, and Alma.
Alma: We’re not friends, yet.
Everyone ignored that.
Uriel: You’re a wolf? We have a wolf professor?
Ashen (with his magical voice as usual, startling Uriel): I’m a werewolf. Honestly we aren’t so uncommon you’ve never heard of werewolves right?
Uriel: O-oh, sorry. I just wasn’t expecting a teacher. Are you talking with magics?
Ashen: It’s alright. Yes I am. It’s a very useful spell I will be teaching you as your basic magics professor. An alternate version can be used to speak telepathically as well. And whichever you prefer to call me is quite alright Disnomia and friends.
Uriel: Wow that’s amazing.
Ashen: Now I have other students to greet, I’m quite popular as the cute fuzzy one. I give you over to my twin brother, Professor Ash White.
They briefly look at the line of students wanting to meet Ashen, while Alceste attempts to pet him, and he backs away.
Ashen: I’m sorry, but I do not allow students to pet me. I already have to be careful not to infect anyone, and that’s difficult when you have the whole Academy lining up to touch me.
Alceste: Oh sorry. I understand.
Ashen: Over to you brother.
Ash: Hello hello. I will be your basic magics professor when you get to 5th year and higher. Now I don’t look much like my very hairy brother, but I promise we are twins.
The kids chuckle. While Ashen gives a playful glare, then looks to greet the next students.
Ash: Any questions?
Alma: I have one. What does professor Ashen use as a wand?
Ash: Ah a good one. He once used his claws, but quickly found that was an awful idea, because then they are very difficult to maintain because wands are so durable. Instead, like Julianus over there, he uses his soul itself. He used to use a paw after his claws. I think he switched to using his soul just to bond with Julianus. Anyway, I’ll introduce you, and you can eat your chilling dinner with them.
He walked them over to a weird transparent person wearing a toga of all things, who appeared to be sitting at the table.
Ash: Julianus, I have some students to meet you.
Julianus: Hello, everyone’s been avoiding me. It must be my new haircut.
Ash: Huh and so you do have a new haircut, I didn’t realize you could do that. Anyway I have more grumpy students that didn’t get to pet the big puppy to intercept, see you...
Disnomia (while waving Ash goodbye): Why are you transparent?
Julianus: A god made me immortal, then ripped me from my body, and hid it somewhere, maybe it’s in the kitchen cupboard waiting for me.
The group spluttered
Alceste: Are you serious?
Julianus: Very, well not the cupboard part, I have no clue where my body is. It could be on the moon for all I know. Moving on: Stick with this school and you’ll eventually have me as a history professor. Now what did Ash bring you over to me specifically for anyway?
Alma: That you apparently use your soul as a wand?
Julianus: Ah yes, you see I can only touch things with magics. I didn’t even know I could do magics or that it existed for most of my existence. Even in ancient Rome actual magics was mostly hidden, which only got worse with the rise of Christianity before my time.
To do magics I need a wand, and the only thing that actually touches me is, well me. But surly you kids want to talk about something more fun, like here give me a high five.
Uriel attempts it and his hand meets nothing, passing through Julianus’.
Uriel (shuddering): Gah, that was weird! Wait. Hey how are you sitting then?
Julianus: I’m not, I’m merely floating in this position.
Disnomia (hugging herself): That seems uncomfortable.
Julianus: Eh you get used to it after a few weeks. What are all your wands by the way? Since you asked about mine.
The kids took turns showing their wands, Alma’s being notably not a typical wand.
Julianus: You aren’t the first student to use a finger, the last one did all of their skin by the time they graduated. They really liked pretty dangerous magical duels, and that made their skin like armor.
Alma: I, I didn’t think of that. Why didn’t I think of that? Is dinner almost over I have to do that.
Julianus: Slow down there little one, you’ll have plenty of time in the coming years. I’ll even help you during my daily wand maintenance sessions if you would like. I should mention that your required wand maintenance will increase to once a day if you do this. My soul only needs once a week like your finger there, but I find the daily meditation nice.
Oh it looks like Alcaster is gathering everyone up, finish your dinners and go see your rooms, it was nice chatting with you kids.
They quickly finished their food, to the chagrin of Alma who still wants to overachieve to satisfy her parents. Then met up with Alcaster and the other 1st years, among the last to arrive.
Alcaster: I hope you all had wonderful conversations with the professors. I know I did with those of you who chose to spend your dinners with me. I especially enjoyed those of you who tried blood from my flask. It’s not pleasant is it, haha. Now please do follow me to the Monastery of the Silver Flowers. It was long ago converted to rooms, showers, and restrooms for students. Err I see some of you are worried about those last two. Don’t be, the showers are single person. And the bathrooms are neutral. Now off we go.
They all crossed the grounds to the frankly imposingly large Monastery. Inside the great doors, though they used normal size doors cut into the large ones, they found a much more modern interior, if dated to the 70s or maybe 80s, anyway it had wood paneled walls with blue and yellow lines painted on it at less than mid height.
Alcaster: Now when I call your name, come get your room key, then head to your room. You may use either the stairs, or one of the elevators behind me, the first number is the floor you’re on, though you’ll all be on the 1st floor, and the whole number is your room on that floor. Any questions?
Student3: Aren’t we on the 1st floor now?
Alcaster: No this is the 0th floor, it makes naming all the floors after the school years easier since this one doesn’t have rooms. Any other questions?
Joan: What about our schedules?
Alcaster: Oh right I forgot to talk about that. Yes all that stuff is already in your rooms. Anything else?
…
Alright then, going by first name alphabetically, Alceste Magnier.
Alceste (with a smile): See you up there Dis, Uriel, Alma.
Alcaster: Alice James. Alma Magister.
Alma: Bye nerds.
Uriel: You’re the nerd.
Alma just walks off.
Uriel: Hopefully she lightens up more.
Disnomia: At least she apologized to us.
Uriel: Barely, but it’s a start.
Alcaster: Disnomia Pagodin.
Disnomia (waving at Uriel as she left): Oh it’s my turn, see you soon Uriel!
Disnomia collected her key with 117 engraved it in, presumably in braille too by the bumps on it. Then headed up one of the 6 elevators to the first floor. She was met by a waiting Alceste in front of a couple of medium size corridors.
Alceste: So what room did you get? I’m in 116.
Disnomia (hugging Alceste): Oh cool I’m in 117, we’ll be neighbors!
Alceste: Aw yes. Alma got 102, and kinda went straight there, she might be tired. Hopefully Uriel is next to us, but that seems unlikely.
Disnomia: We’ll have to wait a bit to find out. Hopefully not too long. I certainly am tired after today.
Alceste (with a mischievous grin): We’ll make a sports girl out of you yet.
Disnomia (shaking her hand happily holding the key): I’ll think about it.
Uriel: Hey!
Alceste: Oh you’re here already.
Uriel: Ya he was getting through everyone pretty fast, and only 16 of the 21 1st years are even living at the Academy. I’m in room 101 by the way.
Disnomia: Damn, we’re in 117 and 116. You’ll be by Alma in 102 though. She already went to her room. Now I’m going to goto the bathroom, then check out my room before sleeping. Good Night.
Alceste: The bathroom is that way, I used it when I came up. Goodnight Dis and Uriel.
Uriel: Hold it there, you 2 are getting goodnight hugs, (while hugging the 2 girls) see you both, tomorrow… and Alma. I’m excited for our first class.
Alceste: It’s mostly gonna be getting to know people tomorrow, but we’ll probably get to see some magics.
Disnomia: How do you know that?
Alceste: My parents went here remember, that’s what they always do for the first day.
Uriel: Well it’s still exciting, goodnight again.
They parted ways to their rooms and the bathroom respectively. Having finished that Disnomia went to her room, idly contemplating how surprisingly progressive the Academy is, though gender neutral restrooms are perhaps relatively less progressive than vampire, werewolf, and “ghost” professors.
She finds her room, unlocks it, and enters to find a desk with a laptop, a small bed, a small wardrobe, her suitcase placed at the foot of her bed, and finally her schedule on her bed. After locking the door behind her, she was indeed very tired, and she changed into some pajamas from her suitcase after putting the schedule sheet on her desk, then got in bed and soon slept.
